Ireland’s Department of Justice has committed to reduce first-instance asylum decision times from the current average of 18 months to just three-to-six months by June 2026. The target was outlined on 26 November alongside other reforms, with €12 million ring-fenced for additional case-workers, interpreters and legal-aid services.
Under EU rules, protection applicants can seek work after six months. A faster decision would allow many to move directly into mainstream employment-permit or family-reunification pathways, giving employers earlier certainty on workforce planning.
![Government Sets Ambitious 3–6 Month Target for First-Instance Asylum Decisions by June 2026]()
Immigration practitioners welcome the ambition but warn that compressed timelines must be matched by adequate resources; otherwise procedural errors could lead to costly court challenges. The Government says a new digital case-management platform and expanded screening centres will underpin the acceleration.
If achieved, Ireland would become one of Europe’s fastest asylum jurisdictions, bolstering its reputation for administrative efficiency. Mobility advisers should, however, prepare for a transition period in which backlogs are triaged, potentially leading to uneven processing times through 2025.
Under EU rules, protection applicants can seek work after six months. A faster decision would allow many to move directly into mainstream employment-permit or family-reunification pathways, giving employers earlier certainty on workforce planning.
Immigration practitioners welcome the ambition but warn that compressed timelines must be matched by adequate resources; otherwise procedural errors could lead to costly court challenges. The Government says a new digital case-management platform and expanded screening centres will underpin the acceleration.
If achieved, Ireland would become one of Europe’s fastest asylum jurisdictions, bolstering its reputation for administrative efficiency. Mobility advisers should, however, prepare for a transition period in which backlogs are triaged, potentially leading to uneven processing times through 2025.
