Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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381. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the next steps, following the EU Migration Pact’s approval; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28973/24]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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382. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to outline the process for implementing the EU Migration Pact’s measures now that it has been approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas. [28974/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 381 and 382 together.

I propose to take PQs 381 and 382 together.

Last week, the Dáil approved the opt-in to the EU Migration and Asylum Pact in accordance with Article 29.4.7 of the Constitution following the earlier approval of the Seanad.

Ireland’s Permanent Representative to the EU formally informed the EU Council and Commission of Ireland’s wish to participate in the relevant provisions of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum on 27 June. The Pact will come into full effect in two years from now.

An Interdepartmental Programme Board chaired by my Department is being established to develop and deliver the implementation plan for the Pact. Initial preparatory meetings with senior stakeholders from across Government Departments and Agencies have been held.

An interdepartmental programme implementation team with members from my Department, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and other agencies is also being established. It will report to the Board and coordinate and drive the implementation of Pact measures across a number of strategic pillars, including appeals, returns, the border procedure and reception and infrastructure. This team will ensure all stakeholders are consulted and informed as necessary.

Work has already begun on a National implementation plan that I will bring to Government later this year.

Ireland, along with all the other Member States will have two years to implement the necessary changes to our systems and our legislation. The Pact will allow us to overhaul the entire system. The Pact will harmonise asylum procedures and processes across the EU. It will speed up the processing of asylum applications so that people in need of our protection get it quickly and those who don’t are returned to their country of origin efficiently.

It will oblige states to conduct enhanced screening and security checks on those arriving at borders and will reduce irregular secondary movements of asylum seekers, which will be particularly impactful for Ireland.

The EU Commission will partner with Ireland and other member states, offering operational and financial support. The Commission has shared a Common Implementation Plan that sets out high-level objectives and a timeline for key actions to be delivered by the Commission and by Member States.

This will inform the National Implementation Plan that Ireland and other Member States will produce by December 2024. This will set out in more detail what changes will be introduced and when and, in turn, inform the new legislation to be drafted.

The Commission will continue to work on a bilateral basis with each Member State to assess needs and implementation priorities.

The EU has committed €3.6 billion in funding over the coming years to support the implementation of the Pact in Member States through the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the multi-annual financial framework mid-term review and a number of other funding streams. The Government intends to draw down the maximum amount available.

The development of the National Implementation Plan will inform process reforms, and the reshaping of the State bodies responsible for asylum decisions and appeals. On the basis of that work, new primary and secondary legislation will be developed to replace the International Protection Act 2015 and other relevant aspects of our legislation. It is envisaged that the General Scheme of the primary legislation will be published in Q1 2025 to allow for drafting and enactment by mid 2026.

My Department, meanwhile, continues to introduce system enhancements to the International Protection process, including through ramping up investment at every level of the international protection system. These are already yielding results but will also assist in putting the necessary capacity in place to implement the Pact.