IE
(LRC Revised)
Statutory Text (1 Articles)
Number 66 of 2015
INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION ACT 2015
REVISED
Updated to 18 June 2026
Changes to legislation
as of 10 July 2026, this Act is up to date with all changes known to be in force.
This Revised Act is an administrative consolidation of the
International Protection Act 2015
. It is prepared by the Law Reform Commission in accordance with its function under
the
Law Reform Commission Act 1975
(3/1975) to keep the law under review and to undertake revision and consolidation
of statute law.
All Acts up to and including the
Air Pollution (Amendment) Act 2026
(14/2026), enacted 18 June 2026, and all statutory instruments up to and including
the
International Protection Act 2015 (Procedures and Periods for Appeals) (Amendment)
Regulations 2026
(S.I. No. 285 of 2026), made 18 June 2026, were considered in the
preparation of this Revised Act.
Disclaimer: While every care has
been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act, the Law Reform Commission can assume
no responsibility for and give no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning
the
accuracy, completeness or up to date nature of the information provided and does not
accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions. Please notify
any
errors, omissions and comments by email to revisedacts@lawreform.ie.
Number
66
of
2015
INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION ACT 2015
REVISED
Updated to 18 June 2026
CONTENTS
PART 1
Preliminary
Section
1. Short title and commencement
2. Interpretation
2A. Continued application and
effect of Act in relation to certain applications and appeals
2B. Supplementary provisions in
relation to continued application and effect of Act
3. Regulations
4. Expenses
5. Service of documents
6. Repeals and revocations
PART 2
Qualification for International Protection
7. Acts of persecution
(Repealed)
8. Reasons for persecution
(Repealed)
9. Cessation of refugee
status
(Repealed)
10. Exclusion from being a
refugee
(Repealed)
11. Cessation of eligibility for
subsidiary protection
(Repealed)
12. Exclusion from eligibility for
subsidiary protection
(Repealed)
PART 3
Application for International Protection
13. Preliminary interview
14. Unaccompanied child seeking international protection
15. Application for international
protection
(Repealed)
16. Permission to enter and remain in the State
17. Temporary residence certificate
18. Statement to be given to applicant
19. Taking of fingerprints
20. Detention of applicant
(Repealed)
21. Inadmissible application
22. Subsequent application
(Repealed)
23. Report in relation to the health of applicant
24. Examination to determine age of unaccompanied person
25. Examination to determine age for purposes of subsection (7) of section 20
26. Protection of identity of applicant
PART 4
Assessment of Applications for International Protection
27. Duty of applicant to cooperate
28. Assessment of facts and circumstances
29. International protection needs
arising sur place
(Repealed)
30. Actors of persecution or
serious harm
(Repealed)
31. Actors of protection
(Repealed)
32. Internal protection
33. Applicant from safe country of origin
PART 5
Examination of Applications at First Instance
34. Examination of application
35. Personal interview
36. Applicants to whom section 15(4) applies
37. Withdrawal of application at first instance
38. Failure by applicant to cooperate
39. Report of examination of application
40. Notification of recommendation in relation to application at first instance
PART 6
Appeals to Tribunal
41. Appeal to Tribunal
42. Oral hearing
43. Accelerated appeal procedures in certain cases
44. Appeal to Tribunal: provision of information
45. Withdrawal and deemed withdrawal of appeal to Tribunal
46. Decision of Tribunal on appeal
PART 7
Declarations and Other Outcomes
47. Refugee declaration and subsidiary protection declaration
48. Option to voluntarily return to country of origin
49. Permission to remain
50. Prohibition of refoulement
50A. Prohibition of refoulement (application for international protection determined
under section 21 to be inadmissable)
51. Deportation order
51A. Return order
51B. Return of person subject of
return order
51C. Period of validity of return
order
52. Revocation of refugee
declaration or subsidiary protection declaration
(Repealed)
PART 8
Content of International Protection
53. Extension to qualified person
of certain rights
(Repealed)
54. Permission to reside in
State
(Repealed)
55. Travel document
(Repealed)
56. Permission to enter and reside
for member of family of qualified person
(Repealed)
57. Permission to reside for
member of family of qualified person
(Repealed)
58. Situation of vulnerable
persons
(Repealed)
PART 9
Programme Refugees and Temporary Protection
59. Programme refugees,
etc.
(Repealed)
60. Temporary protection
PART 10
International Protection Appeals Tribunal
61. International Protection Appeals Tribunal
62. Membership of Tribunal
63. Functions of chairperson of Tribunal
64. Functions of deputy chairperson of Tribunal
65. Role of members of Tribunal
66. Registrar
67. Functions of Registrar
PART 11
Transitional Provisions
68. Detention
69. Transitional provisions relating to declarations and permissions under repealed
enactments
70. Transitional provisions relating to caseloads under repealed enactments
71. Transitional provisions relating to Refugee Appeals Tribunal
PART 12
Miscellaneous
72. Designation of safe countries of origin
72A. Designation of safe third
countries
73. Prioritisation
73A. Acceleration
74. International protection officers
75. Chief international protection officer
76. Contracts for services
77. Period for making appeal under sections 21, 22, 41 and 43
PART 13
Miscellaneous Amendments
78. Amendment of Immigration Act 1999
79. Amendment of section 5 of Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Act 2000
80. Amendment of section 5 of Immigration Act 2003
81. Amendment of Immigration Act 2004
SCHEDULE 1
Text of 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees
Chapter I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Chapter II
JURIDICAL STATUS
Chapter III
GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT
Chapter IV
WELFARE
Chapter V
ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES
Chapter VI
EXECUTORY AND TRANSITORY PROVISIONS
Chapter VII
FINAL CLAUSES
SCHEDULE 2
Text of 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees
Acts Referred to
Child and Family Agency Act 2013
(No. 40)
Child Care Acts 1991 to 2013
Civil Legal Aid Act 1995
(No. 32)
Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010
(No. 24)
Civil Service Regulation Acts 1956 to 2005
Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence and DNA Database System) Act 2014
(No. 11)
European Parliament Elections Act 1997
(No. 2)
Health Acts 1947 to 2015
Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Act 2000
(No. 29)
Immigration Act 1999
(No. 22)
Immigration Act 2003
(No. 26)
Immigration Act 2004
(No. 1)
Medical Practitioners Act 2007
(No. 25)
Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004
(No. 33)
Refugee Act 1996
(No. 17)
Social Welfare Acts
Number
66
of
2015
INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION ACT 2015
REVISED
Updated to 18 June 2026
An Act to restate and modify certain aspects of the law relating to the entry into
and presence in the State of persons in need of international protection, while having
regard also to the power of the Executive in relation to these matters, to give further
effect to Council Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001
1
on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx
of displaced persons and on measures promoting a balance of efforts between Member
States in receiving such persons and bearing the consequences thereof, to give further
effect to Council Directive 2004/83/EC of 29 April 2004
2
on minimum standards for the qualification and status of third country nationals
or stateless persons as refugees or as persons who otherwise need international protection
and the content of the protection granted, to give further effect to Council Directive
2005/85/EC of 1 December 2005
3
on minimum standards on procedures in Member States for granting and withdrawing
refugee status, to give further effect to the Convention relating to the Status of
Refugees done at Geneva on the 28th day of July 1951 and the Protocol relating to
the Status of Refugees done at New York on the 31st day of January 1967, to amend
the
Immigration Act 1999
, the
Immigration Act 2003
and the
Immigration Act 2004
, to amend or repeal certain other enactments, and to provide for related matters.
[30
th December
, 2015]
Be it enacted by the Oireachtas as follows
Annotations
Modifications (not altering text)
C1
Act applied with modifications (6.03.2018) by
European Union (Dublin System) Regulations 2018
(S.I. No. 62 of 2018), regs. 12(2), 15.
Applicant under section 8 of the Refugee Act 1996 or under section 15 of Act of 2015
to whom Article 18(1)(c) applies
12. ...
(2) A person to whom this Regulation applies shall, notwithstanding section 22 of
the Act of 2015, but without prejudice to section 21 of that Act, be deemed to have
made, on the date on which this Regulation first applies to him or her, an application
for international protection under section 15 of that Act, and, subject to this Regulation,
the provisions of that Act shall, with any necessary modifications, apply accordingly.
...
Person to whom Regulation 13(2) or 14(2) applies.
15. Where a person is deemed under Regulation 13(2) or 14(2) to have made an application
for international protection under section 15 of the Act of 2015, the provisions of
that Act shall apply to the application, with the following modifications and any
other necessary modifications—
(a) the application shall be deemed not to be an application for status in the State
as a refugee on the basis of a refugee declaration but to be an application only for
status in the State as a person eligible for subsidiary protection on the basis of
a subsidiary protection declaration,
(b) for the purposes of the examination under Part 5 of that Act of the application,
the person shall be deemed to be a person who should not be given a refugee declaration,
(c) for the purposes of section 39(3) of that Act—
(i) a recommendation referred to in paragraph (a) of that subsection shall not be
made in respect of the person, and
(ii) the recommendation of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, made under the
Act of 1996 in respect of the person, shall be deemed to be a recommendation, referred
to in paragraphs (b) and (c) of that subsection, of the international protection officer
that the person should not be given a refugee declaration,
and
(d) an appeal to the Tribunal under section 41(1) of that Act against a recommendation
under paragraph (b) or (c) of section 39(3) of that Act may be made only in respect
of the part of the recommendation that recommends that the person should not be given
a subsidiary protection declaration.
C2
References construed (6.03.2018) by
European Union (Dublin System) Regulations 2018
(S.I. No. 62 of 2018), regs. 18(2), 19(2).
Provisions in relation to international protection officers
18. (1) An international protection officer shall be independent in the performance
of his or her functions under these Regulations.
(2) A reference in the Act of 2015 to the functions of an international protection
officer conferred on him or her by that Act shall be deemed to include a reference
to the functions conferred on an international protection officer by these Regulations.
Provisions in relation to the Tribunal
19. (1) The Tribunal shall be independent in the performance of its functions under
these Regulations.
(2) A reference in the Act of 2015 to—
(a) a function of the Tribunal, chairperson, deputy chairperson, registrar or a member
of the Tribunal (including a reference to a function conferred by that Act) shall
be deemed to include a reference to the functions conferred upon the Tribunal, chairperson,
deputy chairperson, registrar or member, as the case may be, by these Regulations.
(b) the work or business of the Tribunal shall include a reference to the work or
business of the Tribunal by virtue of these Regulations, and
(c) an applicant and an appeal shall include a reference to an applicant or an appeal,
as the case may be, under these Regulations.
Annotations
Modifications (not altering text)
C1
Act applied with modifications (6.03.2018) by
European Union (Dublin System) Regulations 2018
(S.I. No. 62 of 2018), regs. 12(2), 15.
Applicant under section 8 of the Refugee Act 1996 or under section 15 of Act of 2015
to whom Article 18(1)(c) applies
12. ...
(2) A person to whom this Regulation applies shall, notwithstanding section 22 of
the Act of 2015, but without prejudice to section 21 of that Act, be deemed to have
made, on the date on which this Regulation first applies to him or her, an application
for international protection under section 15 of that Act, and, subject to this Regulation,
the provisions of that Act shall, with any necessary modifications, apply accordingly.
...
Person to whom Regulation 13(2) or 14(2) applies.
15. Where a person is deemed under Regulation 13(2) or 14(2) to have made an application
for international protection under section 15 of the Act of 2015, the provisions of
that Act shall apply to the application, with the following modifications and any
other necessary modifications—
(a) the application shall be deemed not to be an application for status in the State
as a refugee on the basis of a refugee declaration but to be an application only for
status in the State as a person eligible for subsidiary protection on the basis of
a subsidiary protection declaration,
(b) for the purposes of the examination under Part 5 of that Act of the application,
the person shall be deemed to be a person who should not be given a refugee declaration,
(c) for the purposes of section 39(3) of that Act—
(i) a recommendation referred to in paragraph (a) of that subsection shall not be
made in respect of the person, and
(ii) the recommendation of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, made under the
Act of 1996 in respect of the person, shall be deemed to be a recommendation, referred
to in paragraphs (b) and (c) of that subsection, of the international protection officer
that the person should not be given a refugee declaration,
and
(d) an appeal to the Tribunal under section 41(1) of that Act against a recommendation
under paragraph (b) or (c) of section 39(3) of that Act may be made only in respect
of the part of the recommendation that recommends that the person should not be given
a subsidiary protection declaration.
C2
References construed (6.03.2018) by
European Union (Dublin System) Regulations 2018
(S.I. No. 62 of 2018), regs. 18(2), 19(2).
Provisions in relation to international protection officers
18. (1) An international protection officer shall be independent in the performance
of his or her functions under these Regulations.
(2) A reference in the Act of 2015 to the functions of an international protection
officer conferred on him or her by that Act shall be deemed to include a reference
to the functions conferred on an international protection officer by these Regulations.
Provisions in relation to the Tribunal
19. (1) The Tribunal shall be independent in the performance of its functions under
these Regulations.
(2) A reference in the Act of 2015 to—
(a) a function of the Tribunal, chairperson, deputy chairperson, registrar or a member
of the Tribunal (including a reference to a function conferred by that Act) shall
be deemed to include a reference to the functions conferred upon the Tribunal, chairperson,
deputy chairperson, registrar or member, as the case may be, by these Regulations.
(b) the work or business of the Tribunal shall include a reference to the work or
business of the Tribunal by virtue of these Regulations, and
(c) an applicant and an appeal shall include a reference to an applicant or an appeal,
as the case may be, under these Regulations.
CONTENTS
PART 1
Preliminary
Section
1. Short title and commencement
2. Interpretation
2A. Continued application and
effect of Act in relation to certain applications and appeals
2B. Supplementary provisions in
relation to continued application and effect of Act
3. Regulations
4. Expenses
5. Service of documents
6. Repeals and revocations
PART 2
Qualification for International Protection
7. Acts of persecution
(Repealed)
8. Reasons for persecution
(Repealed)
9. Cessation of refugee
status
(Repealed)
10. Exclusion from being a
refugee
(Repealed)
11. Cessation of eligibility for
subsidiary protection
(Repealed)
12. Exclusion from eligibility for
subsidiary protection
(Repealed)
PART 3
Application for International Protection
13. Preliminary interview
14. Unaccompanied child seeking international protection
15. Application for international
protection
(Repealed)
16. Permission to enter and remain in the State
17. Temporary residence certificate
18. Statement to be given to applicant
19. Taking of fingerprints
20. Detention of applicant
(Repealed)
21. Inadmissible application
22. Subsequent application
(Repealed)
23. Report in relation to the health of applicant
24. Examination to determine age of unaccompanied person
25. Examination to determine age for purposes of subsection (7) of section 20
26. Protection of identity of applicant
PART 4
Assessment of Applications for International Protection
27. Duty of applicant to cooperate
28. Assessment of facts and circumstances
29. International protection needs
arising sur place
(Repealed)
30. Actors of persecution or
serious harm
(Repealed)
31. Actors of protection
(Repealed)
32. Internal protection
33. Applicant from safe country of origin
PART 5
Examination of Applications at First Instance
34. Examination of application
35. Personal interview
36. Applicants to whom section 15(4) applies
37. Withdrawal of application at first instance
38. Failure by applicant to cooperate
39. Report of examination of application
40. Notification of recommendation in relation to application at first instance
PART 6
Appeals to Tribunal
41. Appeal to Tribunal
42. Oral hearing
43. Accelerated appeal procedures in certain cases
44. Appeal to Tribunal: provision of information
45. Withdrawal and deemed withdrawal of appeal to Tribunal
46. Decision of Tribunal on appeal
PART 7
Declarations and Other Outcomes
47. Refugee declaration and subsidiary protection declaration
48. Option to voluntarily return to country of origin
49. Permission to remain
50. Prohibition of refoulement
50A. Prohibition of refoulement (application for international protection determined
under section 21 to be inadmissable)
51. Deportation order
51A. Return order
51B. Return of person subject of
return order
51C. Period of validity of return
order
52. Revocation of refugee
declaration or subsidiary protection declaration
(Repealed)
PART 8
Content of International Protection
53. Extension to qualified person
of certain rights
(Repealed)
54. Permission to reside in
State
(Repealed)
55. Travel document
(Repealed)
56. Permission to enter and reside
for member of family of qualified person
(Repealed)
57. Permission to reside for
member of family of qualified person
(Repealed)
58. Situation of vulnerable
persons
(Repealed)
PART 9
Programme Refugees and Temporary Protection
59. Programme refugees,
etc.
(Repealed)
60. Temporary protection
PART 10
International Protection Appeals Tribunal
61. International Protection Appeals Tribunal
62. Membership of Tribunal
63. Functions of chairperson of Tribunal
64. Functions of deputy chairperson of Tribunal
65. Role of members of Tribunal
66. Registrar
67. Functions of Registrar
PART 11
Transitional Provisions
68. Detention
69. Transitional provisions relating to declarations and permissions under repealed
enactments
70. Transitional provisions relating to caseloads under repealed enactments
71. Transitional provisions relating to Refugee Appeals Tribunal
PART 12
Miscellaneous
72. Designation of safe countries of origin
72A. Designation of safe third
countries
73. Prioritisation
73A. Acceleration
74. International protection officers
75. Chief international protection officer
76. Contracts for services
77. Period for making appeal under sections 21, 22, 41 and 43
PART 13
Miscellaneous Amendments
78. Amendment of Immigration Act 1999
79. Amendment of section 5 of Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Act 2000
80. Amendment of section 5 of Immigration Act 2003
81. Amendment of Immigration Act 2004
SCHEDULE 1
Text of 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees
Chapter I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Chapter II
JURIDICAL STATUS
Chapter III
GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT
Chapter IV
WELFARE
Chapter V
ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES
Chapter VI
EXECUTORY AND TRANSITORY PROVISIONS
Chapter VII
FINAL CLAUSES
SCHEDULE 2
Text of 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees
Number
66
of
2015