Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 May 2026
672. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average processing time for appeals before the International Protection Appeals Tribunal in each year from 2019 to 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32923/26]
View answer673. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the projected number of cases on hand at the International Protection Appeals Tribunal at the end of 2026, 2027 and 2028 under current staffing and productivity assumptions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32924/26]
View answer674. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has estimated the accommodation cost attributable to delays at appeal stage in the international protection process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32925/26]
View answer675. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average number of IPAT appeals completed per whole-time equivalent Tribunal member in each year from 2019 to 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32926/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 672, 673, 674 and 675 together.
It is a central priority for me that Ireland’s immigration system is robust and rules based.
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. Year-to-date application numbers in 2026 are around 3,800 and this figure is in line with applications made in the same period in 2025.
In 2025, the International Protection Office (IPO) delivered over 20,200 first instance decisions compared to approximately 14,100 in 2024: a 44% increase. IPAT more than doubled the number of appeals closed from 3,100 in 2024 to nearly 6,300 in 2025. As of 5 May, IPAT has closed 3,170 appeals this year and is on track to significantly exceed the number of appeals closed in 2025.
As of 5 May, the IPAT has 20,469 cases on hand. We know that patterns in international protection applications vary over time and this also impacts on cases on hand. That is why it is important that the Government’s response adapts accordingly. There has been a significant increase in investment into the international protection system which, combined with digitisation and process reengineering, has facilitated a major increase in processing capacity and demonstrates a strong commitment to reducing cases on hand.
This resourcing has been particularly evident at IPAT over the past few years with the Tribunal budget increasing by 95% from 2023 to 2025. Administrative staff at IPAT have increased from 37 at the start of 2023 to 86 currently.
My Department, in conjunction with the Public Appointments Service, has also been actively recruiting for additional whole-time and part-time Tribunal Members over the last two years, with appointments from three such competitions having recently concluded. The number of whole-time Members has increased from 3 at the start of 2025 to 9. The number of part-time Members has increased from 44 at the start of 2025 to 141.
A competition recruiting full time Appeal Officers for the new Tribunal for Asylum and Returns Appeals (TARA) closed on 21 April with a further competition for part time Appeal Officers set to be advertised shortly.
In addition to measures to improve processing generally, an operational plan between Ireland and the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has also seen 21 EUAA personnel deployed to support the work being done at IPAT to reduce cases on hand. This work includes preparing appeal files, conducting research on country-of-origin information and international protection jurisprudence. The Operational Plan also includes the EUAA providing interpretation resources in difficult-to-source languages.
The table below shows the average processing time for appeals in each year from 2019 to 2025.
|
Year |
Median processing time (months) |
|
2019 |
6.7 |
|
2020 |
8.1 |
|
2021 |
13.5 |
|
2022 |
10.2 |
|
2023 |
5.5 |
|
2024 |
10.0 |
|
2025 |
12.5 |
Please note figures are correct at time of issue and may be subject to data cleansing.
The table below shows the average number of IPAT decisions per whole-time Tribunal Member in each year from 2019 to 2025. The average number of decisions made by whole-time Members across the years 2019-2025 has varied for several reasons. The Tribunal currently has nine whole-time Members, two of whom are currently assigned the role of Acting Deputy Chairpersons of the Tribunal. These individuals deliver training, mentoring and performance management of 141 part-time Members and carry out quality audits of Tribunal decisions amongst other tasks. Additionally, as 6 of the 9 whole-time Members were recruited in 2025, the date of appointment and an initial training period will have directly impacted on the average number of cases completed in 2025.
|
Year |
Average Decisions per Whole Time Member |
|
2019 |
99 |
|
2020 |
56 |
|
2021 |
48 |
|
2022 |
75 |
|
2023 |
102 |
|
2024 |
120 |
|
2025 |
55 |
As the Deputy will be aware, the International Protection Act was passed into law last month and gives effect to the EU Migration and Asylum Pact. My Department continues to focus preparing for these new rules to take effect on 12 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.
Faster processing will mean that applicants spend less time in International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) accommodation, and this will significantly reduce the cost of the asylum system to the State. Faster decision-making will also mean that successful applicants will be granted international protection sooner, and those whose applications are refused can be returned to their country of origin sooner.
