The International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) is further postponing all hearings from today and until at least 19 April.

The move follows Government advice to implement early, decisive, rapid, coordinated and comprehensive social distancing measures in response to the COVID-19 and to extend these restrictions until 19 April.

Weighty ground

Under normal circumstances all appeals to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal under the International Protection Act 2015, the European Union (Dublin System) Regulations 2018 and the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 must be made within strict time limits.

However, in each of these situations, the Tribunal has the power to extend time periods for filing appeals.

In the current extraordinary circumstances, in the event of any appeals arriving late, the Tribunal will consider that as a weighty ground for extending the prescribed period for the submission of appeals to the Tribunal in the event that such request is made in a Notice of Appeal received by the Tribunal.

More details are available on the Tribunal’s website at http://www.protectionappeals.ie