President Connolly signs the International Protection Bill 2026

President Connolly signs the International Protection Bill 2026

Date: Wed 22 Apr, 2026 | 16:53

Uachtarán na hÉireann, President Catherine Connolly, having given careful consideration to all constitutional and other aspects of the International Protection Bill 2026, and having considered all the options available to her, has today signed the Bill.

The President followed the passage of this Bill through both Houses of the Oireachtas and has listened carefully to the debate and the issues raised.

The President has also considered the views expressed by the members of the Council of State at the meeting convened at Áras an Uachtaráin on Monday, 20 April, regarding the constitutionality of the Bill, and in relation to specific sections.

The concerns that led to the President calling a meeting of the Council of State remain.

However, when considering any particular piece of legislation, the President must be cognisant of Article 34.3 of Bunreacht na hÉireann, which provides that no Court can question the validity of any legislation deemed constitutional following a referral by the President to the Supreme Court. In this context, the capacity of a putative litigant to take a case on the basis of facts rather than abstract grounds has to be taken into account.

The President's decision to sign this legislation thus does not close off any actions sought by any person to challenge the provisions of the Bill in the future.

The President would like to thank the members of the Council of State for their attendance at the meeting which she convened on Monday and for the views and advice which they presented to her.

ENDS