Enda O’Neill has been appointed Ireland’s first permanent Chief Inspector of Asylum Border Procedures.
Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan announced that Mr O’Neill will take up the five-year appointment from September 11th.
The office was established under the International Protection Act 2026 and will monitor designated asylum border facilities for compliance with EU and international law, including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
The Chief Inspector will also oversee complaints originating in designated border facilities and will have powers to investigate potential breaches of fundamental rights.
Mr O’Neill previously spent 13 years working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and served as Head of the UNHCR office in Dublin between 2015 and 2025.
He is also a qualified barrister with experience in immigration, international protection and European law.
