Ireland’s parliament reconvened on 13 January with migration and asylum reform dominating the legislative slate. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan is set to table the freshly published International Protection Bill 2026 for second-stage debate, while ministers briefed TDs on parallel housing and trade priorities.
Government whips confirmed that the Bill will receive priority scheduling, reflecting an EU deadline to transpose the Migration and Asylum Pact by 12 June. Opposition parties signalled fierce scrutiny of provisions on family reunification and accelerated returns but acknowledged the need to clear existing case backlogs.
For organisations and individual travellers looking to stay ahead of Ireland’s fast-moving immigration landscape, VisaHQ provides real-time guidance and end-to-end application support. Its dedicated Ireland page (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) aggregates the latest rules on work authorisations, family-reunification visas and other entry requirements, helping HR teams and applicants navigate any changes that may emerge from the International Protection Bill or related reforms.
![Dáil Resumes, Putting Migration Reforms and Asylum Bill at Top of New Term Agenda]()
Beyond asylum, the session will consider measures to unblock housing supply—critical to settling newcomers—and to ratify or resist the contested EU-Mercosur trade deal. With Ireland due to hold the rotating EU Council presidency in the second half of 2026, officials say delivering a ‘credible, reformed’ immigration framework beforehand is essential for diplomatic leverage.
For mobility stakeholders, the parliamentary timetable provides a roadmap: committee-stage amendments are expected in February, report stage by April and final passage in May if the coalition holds. HR and global-mobility teams should plan stakeholder submissions quickly and track any late changes to work-authorisation or family rules.
Industry groups are also lobbying for clarity on the Employment Permits Roadmap and on passenger-cap legislation for Dublin Airport, both of which could be re-introduced later in the term. The Government has hinted that aviation capacity and labour-market access will be treated as linked pillars of its wider competitiveness agenda.
Government whips confirmed that the Bill will receive priority scheduling, reflecting an EU deadline to transpose the Migration and Asylum Pact by 12 June. Opposition parties signalled fierce scrutiny of provisions on family reunification and accelerated returns but acknowledged the need to clear existing case backlogs.
For organisations and individual travellers looking to stay ahead of Ireland’s fast-moving immigration landscape, VisaHQ provides real-time guidance and end-to-end application support. Its dedicated Ireland page (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) aggregates the latest rules on work authorisations, family-reunification visas and other entry requirements, helping HR teams and applicants navigate any changes that may emerge from the International Protection Bill or related reforms.
Beyond asylum, the session will consider measures to unblock housing supply—critical to settling newcomers—and to ratify or resist the contested EU-Mercosur trade deal. With Ireland due to hold the rotating EU Council presidency in the second half of 2026, officials say delivering a ‘credible, reformed’ immigration framework beforehand is essential for diplomatic leverage.
For mobility stakeholders, the parliamentary timetable provides a roadmap: committee-stage amendments are expected in February, report stage by April and final passage in May if the coalition holds. HR and global-mobility teams should plan stakeholder submissions quickly and track any late changes to work-authorisation or family rules.
Industry groups are also lobbying for clarity on the Employment Permits Roadmap and on passenger-cap legislation for Dublin Airport, both of which could be re-introduced later in the term. The Government has hinted that aviation capacity and labour-market access will be treated as linked pillars of its wider competitiveness agenda.
