International Protection Bill 2026: Second Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-03
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Laura Harmon (LAB), Industrial and Commercial Panel

I welcome the Minister of State. The Government has been in office for over a year now, and over that time we have seen it repeatedly try to act tough on immigration with grandstanding rhetoric. This has included some very worrying comments from our Tánaiste, deflecting from the housing crisis and implying immigration is the reason we have a housing crisis in this country. This is very divisive and concerning, and this Bill is the latest irresponsible step in that pattern. The Government claims it is just aiming for a quicker, more efficient asylum system, but this Bill is more interested in limiting the rights of those seeking asylum.
This is the biggest change to Ireland’s migration laws in a generation but the Government has been intent on rushing it through the Oireachtas without proper scrutiny. We saw this on Committee Stage in the Dáil. Hundreds of amendments were tabled by Opposition parties but the Bill was not examined properly by a select committee. Instead, it went before the Dáil Chamber and was guillotined before the vast majority of amendments were reached. This means that only a small minority of amendments are being considered. Therefore, it will fall to the Seanad, on Committee Stage, to make sure we have a full debate on amendments. We, and certainly Senators in the Labour Party, will be tabling amendments on this.
There is a lot in this Bill that is ill thought through and that simply does not make sense. There are several provisions that it seems likely could be subject to future litigation because, in its rush to get this Bill passed, the Government is risking making errors.
Family reunification is not some optional extra; it is a cornerstone of integration, stability and dignity. In undermining family reunification, the Government risks creating a situation where people who have gone through the difficult process of proving that they should be granted international protection are then actively dissuaded from integrating and contributing to our communities. Surely we can all agree that this is not a worthy aim for a functioning migration policy. On Committee Stage in the Dáil, the Labour Party tabled amendments to delete the proposed two-year waiting period and the financial self-sufficiency measures. Means-testing family reunification is simply wrong in principle.
This Bill massively expands the role of detention in the Irish immigration system and, most shamefully, allows the detention of children. The Government’s suggestion that detention will be used under the Bill only when it is in a minor’s best interests is nothing short of Orwellian doublespeak. International human rights law is clear. The immigration detention of a child is never in their best interests and it is always a violation of the child’s rights. We simply have to ensure that this is not part of this Bill.
There are several areas in which this Bill goes further than what is required under the EU pact. One area that has received significant attention but without any clarity being offered is the Bill’s use of the term “legal counselling”. There is significant confusion and concern from groups working with refugees as to what this would mean in practice for the level of legal support, assistance and representation available to asylum seekers. I argue that they should have access to legal advice from the outset. The Government’s response on this has only muddied the waters further and, if there really is no intention to reduce the levels of support provided, that must be made explicit.
The Bill must also be amended to include vital protections for vulnerable people, particularly the LGBTQ+ community and victims of trafficking. Both of these groups need to be recognised in this Bill as vulnerable and this should be provided for. We look forward to tabling amendments on Committee Stage and having a full debate then.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-03/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:42+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-03