Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 November 2025
230. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Dublin III transfer decisions made by the IPO and IPAT for international protection applicants each of the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66355/25]
View answer231. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average processing time for Dublin III decisions from initial application to the IPO to IPAT decision for international protection applicants for each of the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66356/25]
View answer232. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Dublin III transfer decision that have “timed out” because the Department did not transfer the applicant within the six months permitted by law for each of the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66357/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 230, 231 and 232 together.
My Department is taking all necessary steps to manage the international protection process efficiently and effectively, while ensuring the integrity of those processes is maintained at all times.
Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 (Dublin III Regulations), came into force on 19 July 2013, and lays down the criteria and mechanisms for determining which EU country is responsible for examining an asylum application. The Dublin Regulation is based on the principle that the first Member State to facilitate entry to the EU should be responsible for examining the protection application.
A decision to transfer made under the Dublin III Regulations expires after six months. This extends to 18 months if the applicant has absconded. If an appeal is launched, a Dublin III decision expires six months from the date the appeal decision is given.
In practice, and in keeping with the experience of other Member States, effective implementation of the Dublin Regulation is challenging. Member States have found significant problems with the Dublin Regulation, including the lack of consistent implementation across the Member States and that shortcomings with the design of the Regulation makes it difficult to achieve its main objectives.
In advance of a transfer, it is necessary to inform the receiving State of the transfer and make the arrangements to transfer the person in the specific notification periods for each EU Member State. The notification periods range from 3 working days to the majority of EU Member States requiring at least 7 working days. Earlier this year I increased the permissible detention period to facilitate a transfer under the Regulations from 7 to 42 days, with the intention being to give the Garda National Immigration Bureau more capacity to make the required arrangements in advance of the transfer being effected.
Ireland has opted in to the EU Asylum and Migration Pact which is due to enter operation in June 2026. The Pact will provide a fair, sustainable and efficient asylum procedure. This will be achieved through convergence in asylum practices across the EU.
One of the major benefits for Ireland of the Pact is that it replaces the Dublin III Regulation with a more efficient and streamlined process.
The Asylum and Migration Management Regulation (AMMR) which will replace the Dublin III Regulation, provides for, among other things, streamlined criteria and reduced timeframes for determining the Member State responsible for determining an asylum application as well as revised rules on transferring responsibility and addressing evasion.
This will significantly improve the current system by reducing the administrative burden on the Member States seeking to transfer a person to the Member State. It will also extend the period by which a transfer must be carried out from 18 months to 3 years.
The table below shows the number of Dublin III transfer decisions issued by the IPO for international protection applicants from 2019 to 14 November 2025.
|
Year |
Decisions issued |
|
2019 |
817 |
|
2020 |
310 |
|
2021 |
69 |
|
2022 |
24 |
|
2023 |
188 |
|
2024 |
339 |
|
2025 * |
363 |
*As of 14 November 2025
The table below shows the median processing time of Dublin III decisions at the IPO from when a formal request is accepted to the transfer decision issuing from 2019 to 23 November 2025.
|
Year |
Months |
|
2019 |
2.2 |
|
2020 |
3.6 |
|
2021 |
2.2 |
|
2022 |
3.6 |
|
2023 |
3.8 |
|
2024 |
3.5 |
|
2025* |
2.3 |
To cob 23 November 2025
International protection applicants have 10 days to lodge an appeal with the International Protection Appeals Tribunal in the case of Dublin III Regulation Appeals.
The table below shows the number of Dublin III Appeals accepted by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) from 2019 to 23 November 2025.
|
Year |
Appeals accepted |
|
2019 |
148 |
|
2020 |
54 |
|
2021 |
16 |
|
2022 |
22 |
|
2023 |
151 |
|
2024 |
272 |
|
2025* |
264 |
*To cob 23 November 2025
The table below shows the median processing time of IPAT Dublin III Appeals in months from 2019 to 23 November 2025.
|
Year |
Median processing times of Dublin III Appeals in months |
|
2019 |
7.4 |
|
2020 |
12 |
|
2021 |
14 |
|
2022 |
7.3 |
|
2023 |
5.8 |
|
2024 |
9.9 |
|
2025* |
18.7 |
* to cob 23 November 2025
The table below shows the number of Dublin III Appeals Decisions issued by the IPAT for international protection applicants from 2019 to 23 November 2025.
|
Dublin III Appeals Decisions Issued |
|
|
|
|
Year |
Decisions |
Refused/Affirmed |
Granted/Set Aside |
|
2019 |
151 |
132 |
19 |
|
2020 |
104 |
86 |
18 |
|
2021 |
17 |
12 |
5 |
|
2022 |
28 |
21 |
7 |
|
2023 |
42 |
36 |
6 |
|
2024 |
52 |
41 |
11 |
|
2025* |
96 |
72 |
24 |
*To cob 23 November 2025
The table below shows the number of Dublin III transfer decisions that have expired (including in cases of absconding) from 2019 to 31 October 2025.
|
Year |
Number of Dublin III transfer decision that have expired |
|
2019 |
35 |
|
2020 |
202 |
|
2021 |
494 |
|
2022 |
337 |
|
2023 |
20 |
|
2024 |
77 |
|
2025 (to 25th Nov) |
56 |
The figures for 2020-22 reflect the impact of Covid on returns arrangements, as returns were largely limited to cases involving criminality during that time.
Please note that figures are correct at time of issue and may be subject to data cleansing.
