Faster asylum decisions, more court challenges: why Justice sought a €15 million legal war chest

The Department of Justice warned that efforts to accelerate asylum decision-making were driving a sharp increase in judicial reviews, with projected legal costs approaching €15 million.

Internal submissions released under FOI show officials believed that while quicker first-instance decisions could reduce accommodation and welfare costs, they inevitably resulted in a higher volume of refusals — and with that, a surge in appeals and High Court challenges.

In pre-budget correspondence, the department outlined legal expenditure projections rising steeply due to the increased use of judicial review proceedings by refused applicants.

The documents indicate that officials viewed rapid processing as essential to maintaining the integrity of the immigration system, allowing removals to occur earlier in the process. However, they acknowledged that this strategy places significant pressure on the State’s legal capacity.

Concerns were also raised about knock-on effects for the International Protection Appeals Tribunal and the courts, with warnings that insufficient resourcing could slow removals, deepen backlogs and ultimately increase overall system costs.

Justice officials cautioned that failure to fund the system adequately could result in longer processing times, higher accommodation spending and growing public frustration.