Overview
- President Catherine Connolly has called the Council of State under Article 26 to consider sending the International Protection Bill to the Supreme Court, with the session set for Áras an Uachtaráin as the first of her term.
- The bill cleared the Oireachtas by 86 votes to 62 and still needs the President’s signature before it can become law.
- The proposal sets strict timelines that aim for decisions on asylum claims within three months and for appeals to finish within a further three months.
- People granted protection would face a three‑year wait to apply for family reunification and would have to show they can support themselves, and the reform is linked to an EU migration pact due to start in June.
- The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission said there was no meaningful engagement on key safeguards, noting that protections for children, trafficking victims and other vulnerable people were not debated.