The International Protection Bill is described as the most radical reform of immigration law in the State’s history. However, Opposition TDs are critical of plans to guillotine the Bill on Wednesday without what they say is proper scrutiny of a number of provisions. Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said, however, the Justice Committee dealt with the general scheme of the Bill in pre-legislative scrutiny. If the committee dealt with committee stage on an “orthodox basis” then the debate “would have taken an inordinate period of time”. Opposition TDs argue this is not defined in the legislation with no guarantee on who provides it or what standards apply.

Source: The Irish Times February 25, 2026 08:02 UTC