Cabinet to discuss International Protection Bill

The first meeting of the Government this year will hear of legislative priorities for the coming Dáil term.

Migration, infrastructure, data centres and the Triple Lock are all subject of upcoming legislation that is being prioritised by ministers.

Changes to the rules governing migration and asylum seeking have been signalled by the Government and Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan is now due to ask colleagues to approve the International Protection Bill 2026.

It will bring major changes to asylum laws by giving effect to the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, and aligning Ireland with the approach to migration in other member states.

Processing of asylum applications will be streamlined with decisions on granting or refusing refugee status and issuing return to country of origin orders to be made within a three-month time limit.

The bill will change regulations that allow people who are granted refugee status to bring family to Ireland.

They will now have to wait three years for family reunification, such individuals will have to show they are financially self-sufficient and only immediate family members will be allowed to come to Ireland.

Among the other bills that will be prioritised in the legislative programme, the Government Chief Whip Mary Butler will bring the Critical Infrastructure Bill to Cabinet for approval.

It aims to speed up delivery of vital infrastructure projects by including the common good as a consideration when assessing projects, giving the Government emergency powers to push forward project delivery and address regulatory challenges.

The bill to allow for a floating gas reserve in case of energy shocks is also due for publication as is the bill to end the cap on passenger numbers in Dublin airport.

Also listed for publication is the Defence Bill, which will end the Triple lock and the Occupied Territories Bill.

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke will bring a 17-point plan to Cabinet that will provide for further development of data centres.

The Large Energy Action Plan, or LEAP, says that all new data centres will have to eventually meet 80% of their own energy needs through renewable energy sources, but that data centres may be developed in regional locations where renewable energy capacity already exists.

Data centres on the east coast where there is a a concentration of such facilities will be permitted when further energy sources come on stream.