Legal supports

The Legal Aid Board provides confidential and independent legal services to persons applying for International Protection and Permission to Remain in Ireland. The Board assists with appeals to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal, and also deals with deportation matters.

You are strongly advised to register with the Legal Aid Board, or to obtain legal advice privately, before completing the International Protection Office Questionnaire.

The Legal Aid Board can help you in the following ways:

• we can give you advice before you submit your questionnaire to the International Protection Office or before you attend your interview in the International Protection Office
• we can make written submissions to the International Protection Office in support of your application for protection/permission to remain
• we can represent you before the International Protection Appeals Tribunal
• if your appeal for Refugee Status and Subsidiary Protection is unsuccessful, we can seek a review of a negative Permission to Remain decision by the Minister for Justice
• we can also help if the International Protection Office decides that another EEA country is responsible under the Dublin III Regulation for dealing with your applications

• pay your contribution (unless it is waived)
• keep us informed at all times of your current address
• attend all appointments made for you with your caseworker or solicitor. Strict time limits apply at all stages of the International Protection process and failure to attend appointments in a timely fashion may result in the Legal Aid Board being unable to provide a service to you
• keep us updated at all times regarding any changes in your circumstances or any new information relating to your application

You should complete the application form and associated consent form and return it to one of the Law Centres below.

If you are granted civil legal aid and advice, you will be represented by either Smithfield Law Centre in Dublin, Popes Quay Law Centre in Cork, or Seville House Law Centre in Galway, depending on where you live. Alternatively, your case may be referred to one of the private practitioners on our International Protection Panel.

The law centre may give you an immediate appointment, depending on when the next step that needs to be taken on your International Protection application is. You may have to pay a contribution of €10 towards your legal aid and advice. In some cases, if paying this contribution would cause hardship, the contribution can be waived.

Completed forms should be returned to one of the following: