Ms Cindy Carroll has been announced as the first Chief Appeals Officer to the Tribunal for Asylum and Returns Appeals (TARA). TARA will manage International Protection appeals under the International Protection Act 2026 from June 12th 2026 onwards. The appointment will take effect from that date and will be for a 5-year period.
Ms Carroll has been recommended by ”publicjobs‘, following an open competition as required under legislation.
There will be a period during which both TARA and the current appeals body, the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT), will operate simultaneously under separate legislative frameworks. As appeals under the 2015 International Protection legislation are progressed, IPAT will be wound down over time. All appeals made from June 12th under the International Protection Act 2026 will be dealt with by TARA.
Ms Carroll is a graduate of Law from University College Cork who was called to the Bar of Ireland in 1995.
She practised as a barrister in Cork, and lectured in Cork Institute of Technology and University College Cork.
This new role will be vital to the success of the new International Protection Appeals body.
In 2001, Ms Carroll was appointed as Advisory Counsel Grade III in the Office of the Attorney General and worked there advising primarily on asylum and immigration law. She returned to the Bar in Dublin in early 2004 and was briefed as counsel on the State Asylum and Immigration Panel from 2004 until March 2018.
In March 2018, she was appointed as Deputy Chairperson in the International Protection Appeals Tribunal, where she was head of Training and a decision maker on various types of appeals.
As part of the preparations for the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, Ms Carroll was appointed as an acting Principal Officer in the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in July 2025 following an internal competition. This role has involved leading on the establishment of the new appeals body.
In addition to her legal qualifications, Ms Carroll also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Management and an MA in Leadership and Strategy.
Her appointment marks an important step in the establishment of TARA and the ongoing reform of Ireland’s international protection appeals system.
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