Gardaí prosecute almost 100 people arriving into Ireland without passports

The Committee, which is meeting today, will also hear the number of people arriving without travel documentation has dropped 17pc on the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the number of people who have been deported after failing to secure international protection is up 50pc.

The Taoiseach and Cabinet ministers will also be told by Justice Minister Helen McEntee that plans to charter deportation flights will begin before the end of the year.

The Government is planning a major investment in immigration services in an attempt to tackle the record level of asylum seekers arriving Ireland.

This will include more people working in the International Protection Office, the International Protection Appeals Tribunal, Boarder Management in Dublin Airport and Department of Justice officials dealing with deportations.

The committee will be told that if staffing in State immigration services is not urgently increased there could be 40,000 active asylum cases in the country by the end of the year.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 23rd May 2024

At present, there are 28,300 international protection cases being handled by immigration services.

Last year, 13,500 people applied for asylum in Ireland which was fourfold increase on what the Government expected. This year, around 1,800 people a month are seeking international protection.

The Government want to enhance the already accelerated asylum review system operated by the International Protection Office to allow 1,800 determinations on cases to be made every month by the end of 2024.

This will increase to 2,200 decisions made on applications by the middle of next year. It is hoped this will result in the number of active cases dropping to 10,500.

The accelerated processing system introduce in 2022 has resulted in a 50pc fall in applications from countries deemed safe.

The number of cases heard by International Protection Appeals Tribunal will also increase to 1,250 next year.

The number of staff in the International Protection Office will increase from 490 to 620 next year while the International Protection Appeals Tribunal will get 17 full time members and 200 part-time, along with 175 staff.

The Government will also draft legislation to broaden the criteria to be come a decision maker on asylum appeals. Both agencies are set to get increased office space as part of the ramping up of immigration services. There are also plans to hold appeals online to allow for more capacity in the system.

The number of Department of Justice staff handling deportations is set to increase from 72 to 119 by next year.

Minister McEntee is separately considering an expansion of the list of countries deemed safe under the country’s international protection law.

There are currently 10 countries designated as safe; Algeria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and South Africa. Anyone arriving from these countries, or Nigeria, will have their asylum application processed within three months.

Other cases are taking on average 19 months according to information given to ministers ahead of the meeting.