LAST UPDATE | 5 hrs ago

THE TAOISEACH HAS defended proposed changes to Irish asylum law which would add a waiting period before successful international applicants can avail of family reunification.

Migration, housing and a controversial EU trade deal are among the issues that politicians will be grappling with as they return to the Dáil chamber after the Christmas break.

One item on the agenda is the draft International Protection Bill 2025 Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan is bringing to Cabinet today.

The Bill seeks to introduce immigration reforms as part of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum coming into effect from June this year.

It has been reported that the changes will include lengthening the time refugees must be in Ireland before applying for family reunification to three years.

The changes may also see asylum seekers have to pay up to €1,000 a month to live in tented accommodation.

Asked about the aim of such proposals while on his way into Cabinet, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it was important to “get the balance right” in asylum law.

“I think we have to have a fair system in terms of the asylum process,” Martin said, adding that the Irish government’s actions align with the wider EU.

“The most important aspect of that, I think, is to have a faster application process that people get results to their applications earlier, both in terms of the initial phase of the application and then subsequently in relation to any appeals,” Martin said.

Martin added that there has been “quite significant progress” made in speeding up decisions in relation to applications for asylum.

The move was met with criticism from some quarters, with the Social Democrats’ Gary Gannon calling the changes “performative toughness”.

“Just over 1% of migration to Ireland occurs through family reunification,” he said.

“Restricting this pathway will not create housing, speed up processing, or relieve pressure on public services.

Dáil returns

Aside from major domestic issues, international issues such as the crackdown on protesters in Iran, the crisis in Venezuela and the suggestion that Donald Trump is mulling whether to acquire Greenland – by funds or by force – are also expected to feature.

The coalition government is expected to kick off the parliamentary term with a draft law to introduce a series of migration and asylum reforms as part of an EU-wide change due to take effect by June.

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan was bringing his bill to Cabinet today, containing stricter rules on the reunification of refugees with their families, on refugees applying for citizenship, and other issues.

Ireland’s record-high homeless numbers – with 16,996 in emergency accommodation as of November – and sky-rocketing house and rent prices will also be a priority for the Government in the coming year.

It had signalled before the Christmas break that clearing infrastructure blockages would help unlock greater housing supply, as its latest housing plan scrapped annual new-build targets.

Promises made during the 2024 general election campaign, around childcare and disability issues in particular, will remain a pressure point for the Government as families struggle with accessing services and the cost of living.

Billions of euro in corporation tax revenues collected mostly from a handful of tech multinationals will also prove contentious after Ireland’s budgetary watchdog warned last year that the Fianna Fail-Fine Gael government was budgeting “like there’s no tomorrow”.

The Dáil is also returning after thousands of farmers gathered in Athlone at the weekend to protest against an EU trade deal with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Ireland voted against the deal after Irish farmers raised concerns that beef exports to Europe could be at risk due to the introduction of cheaper Brazilian beef; a debate on the EU-Mercosur deal was due in the Dáil later today.

As Ireland gears up to host the Presidency of the Council of the EU in July, ministers will be preparing issues to focus on during its six-month term – media minister Patrick O’Donovan has said the theme for communication ministers will be “protecting the child online”, an issue more relevant now after controversy over sexualised deepfakes on social media X.

The EU presidency will give Ireland an element of influence at a time of political instability across the world.