I propose to take Questions Nos. 728, 731 and 732 together.
I am fully committed to ensuring that Ireland’s International Protection system is robust, and rules based, and that our borders are protected.
The number of International Protection applications have been rising over the past number of years, reaching 18,500 in 2024. In 2025, application numbers reduced by approximately a third.
There has been a significantly increased investment into the international protection system to improve efficiencies and throughput as well as enhancing the application, interview and decision-making process for applicants.
In 2025, the International Protection Office (IPO) delivered over 20,200 first decisions compared to approximately 14,100 in 2024: a 44% increase. While the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) more than doubled the number of appeals closed from 3,100 in 2024 to nearly 6,300 in 2025.
My Department continues to focus on preparing for the EU Migration and Asylum Pact in advance of 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 including standardised processing times for decisions: six months for a standard procedure, three months for accelerated and border procedures and two months for processing applicants who have applied for protection elsewhere in Europe.
Last week, I published the new International Protection Bill 2026 which will give effect to the measures of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact. Enactment of the Bill and commencement of the Act is required by 12 June 2026.
The table below provides a yearly breakdown of IP applications made from 2020 to 2025.
|
Year of Application
|
Total
|
|
2020
|
1,565
|
|
2021
|
2,647
|
|
2022
|
13,643
|
|
2023
|
13,271
|
|
2024
|
18,553
|
|
2025
|
13,160
|
The table below shows all international protection first instance decisions made from 2020 to 2025 broken down by those granted either Refugee Status (RS), Subsidiary Protection (SP) or Permission to Remain (PTR) and those refused. Please note that there is not a direct correlation between the year an application was made and the year the decision issued.
|
First instance decisions
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
2023
|
2024
|
2025
|
|
Granted (RS, SP, PTR)
|
725
32.12%
|
1,521
61.77%
|
3,537
71.70%
|
3,236
36.73%
|
3,909
27.80%
|
3,744
18.64%
|
|
Refused / withdrew / inadmissible
|
1,532
67.87%
|
941
38.22%
|
1,396
28.30%
|
5,574
63.26%
|
10,151
72.19%
|
16,497
81.35%
|
All applicants refused international protection have a right to appeal to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) who must then consider if the earlier International Protection Office (IPO) determinations on refugee status and subsidiary protection should be affirmed or set aside.
The table below details International Protection appeal decisions from 2020 to 2025.
|
International Protection Appeals Tribunal Decisions Issued
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year
|
Decision
|
|
Grand Total
|
Decision %
|
|
|
|
Granted/Set Aside
|
Refused/Affirmed
|
|
Granted/Set Aside
|
Refused/Affirmed
|
|
2020
|
317
|
766
|
1083
|
29.3%
|
70.7%
|
|
2021
|
385
|
667
|
1052
|
36.6%
|
63.4%
|
|
2022
|
496
|
804
|
1300
|
38.2%
|
61.8%
|
|
2023
|
446
|
1136
|
1582
|
28.2%
|
71.8%
|
|
2024
|
819
|
2051
|
2870
|
28.5%
|
71.5%
|
|
2025
|
1488
|
4016
|
5504
|
27.0%
|
73.0%
|
Following a negative international protection decision an individual no longer has permission to reside in the State. The International Protection Act 2015, at section 51, provides that a person shall have a deportation order made in respect of them if they are refused international protection or permission to remain in the State and if they also do not avail of the option of voluntary return.
The table below details the number deportation orders which have been signed in respect of people who have been refused International Protection from 2020, up to end of 2025.
|
Year
|
IP Deportation Orders Signed
|
|
2020
|
290
|
|
2021
|
0*
|
|
2022
|
541
|
|
2023
|
765
|
|
2024
|
2,001
|
|
2025
|
3,573
|
* During the COVID- 19 Pandemic there was a moratorium on deportations. This was effective during the latter part of 2020, 2021 and for the first 8 months of 2022. During the moratorium only persons who whose presence in Ireland would be contrary to the public interest were deported. This moratorium was lifted in July 2022.
The information requested by the Deputy on the number of international protection applications processed to a final decision during 2025 is not easily extracted.
Please note, all figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
