Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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686. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the average processing time of applications for international protection in the years 2020 to date in 2025; by quarter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66175/25]

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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687. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applications for international protection in the years 2020 to date in 2025; by quarter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66176/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 686 and 687 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. This year, we are beginning to see application numbers noticeably reduce with 33% fewer compared with the same period in 2024.

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.

In 2024, the International Protection Office (IPO) delivered over 14,000 first decisions compared to over 8,500 in 2023, while the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) closed around 3,100 appeals in 2024 compared to over 1,700 in 2023.

In 2025, to the end of Q3, there has been a 51% increase in the total number of first decisions when compared to the same period in 2024. The IPAT has also increased the number of appeals completed to date in 2025 by 44% over the full year figure for 2024 with ongoing recruitment of Tribunal Members to increase its decision-making capacity.

The table below shows the number of applications for international protection in the years 2020 to date in 2025, by quarter.

The table below shows the overall median processing time in months of applications for international protection in the years 2020 to 19 November 2025, by quarter.

Accelerated processing was introduced in November 2022, and it now applies to those from designated safe countries of origin, applicants who have received protection elsewhere in Europe and those from a country with a particularly high number of applications.

The table below shows the median processing time in months of applications for international protection under the accelerated procedure in the years 2022 to date in 2025, by quarter.

Please note that figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.

My Department also 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.

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. Enactment of the Bill and commencement of the Act is required by 11 June 2026.