Background information

In March 2025, the Irish Government approved Ireland’s National Implementation Plan (NIP) for the EU Asylum and Migration Pact as ready to be submitted to the European Commission.

The Plan outlines a significant reform of Ireland’s asylum laws and includes new legislation, processes, technology and structures.

It outlines how Ireland will be ready for implement the EU Migration and Asylum Pact from June 2026.

Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said: 'The Pact National Implementation Plan sets out how Ireland will transition away from the current complex asylum system towards a future streamlined model which aims to be a structural and permanent solution to the challenges of managing migration. It is a critical next step towards my goal of implementing a firmer and more robust migration system here in Ireland.'

Content of measure

The National Implementation Plan outlines a number of new measures including:

• the replacement of the current international protection decision process with a streamlined single first-instance decision on refugee status, subsidiary protection, and return/permission to stay.
• a 12-week time limit for completed first instance and appeal decisions for those applicants from countries of origin with a recognition rate of 20% or less across the EU, those who have no documents or false documents, or those are deemed a security risk.
• a new extended scope EuroDac (European asylum database).
• new IT systems.
• legal counselling and legal assistance systems to support applicants and ensure the legal sustainability of new processing systems.
• a new fundamental rights monitoring mechanism to ensure that the fundamental rights of applicants and migrants affected by the Pact are upheld.
• new legislation to implement and underpin the new system.

Use of measure

N/A

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Applies to all workers	Does not apply to businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	No special funding required

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

N/A

The NIP was developed by a dedicated EU Pact Programme team in the Department of Justice with cross-government support and in consultation with internal and external stakeholders.

Views and reactions

N/A

Sources

• 25 March 2025: Minister O’Callaghan receives government approval for the EU Asylum & Migration Pact National Implementation Pla (www.gov.ie)