Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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267. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if his Department has estimated the annual fines which Ireland would face under infringement proceedings should the State not be in a position to comply with the requirements which it has signed up to under the EU Asylum and Migration Pact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54359/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, Ireland has opted in to the EU Asylum and Migration Pact which will come into effect 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.

My Department continues to focus on preparing for the Pact in advance of June 2026.

The General Scheme of a new International Protection Bill to give effect to the measures of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact was approved by Government on 29 April 2025. The General Scheme has been published and referred to the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for pre-legislative scrutiny. The drafting of the Bill is underway. It is expected that the Bill will be published by the end of the year. Enactment of the Bill and commencement of the Act is required by 11 June 2026.

It would be a matter for the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to determine the level of fines to be imposed on a Member State it finds it to be non-compliant with transposition requirements or directly applicable legislative measures following referral of that Member State to the Court by the Commission.