Ireland’s Justice Department warns of €15 million legal bill as faster asylum decisions trigger surge in court challenges
24-hour helpline launched for asylum seekers as Citywest hub closes to new arrivals over Christmas
Government scales back 2026 pay rise plan for work-permit holders
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Citizenship reforms may count welfare payments and lengthen asylum pathway
Cabinet will consider a Justice proposal to treat certain welfare payments as a negative factor in citizenship applications and to increase the residence period for refugees from three to five years. Supporters say the move safeguards system integrity; critics fear it will slow integration and punish low-income migrants.
Irish airports gear up for record 1.8 million Christmas passengers
Dublin Airport expects its busiest Christmas ever, with 1.8 million passengers over 19 days. Extra staff, CT scanners and fast-track lanes should keep queues down, but businesses are advised to build in buffer time and to watch capacity limits that could force future slot restrictions.
Early glitches in EU Entry/Exit System spark three-hour queues for Irish travellers
Pilot use of the EU’s new biometric Entry/Exit System has caused multi-hour queues at several Schengen airports. Irish passport holders are unaffected, but dual nationals and non-EU staff travelling from Ireland face delays. Employers should allow extra connection time and brief travellers on documentation options.
IT outage at Port of Dover generates ferry delays ahead of Irish holiday traffic
French e-border IT problems at Dover caused hour-long queues on 20 December, potentially disrupting Irish freight that uses the UK land-bridge. The episode highlights the need for contingency plans and may accelerate the shift to direct Ireland–Europe ferry routes.
Irish firms mark International Migrants Day with new workplace-inclusion tools
Companies used International Migrants Day to unveil apps and mentoring schemes that speed up integration of foreign workers. The initiatives address onboarding bottlenecks but NGOs call for parallel government action on housing and qualification recognition.