Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have just had a good debate and a number of questions at the Joint Committee on Justice on this matter. I start by assuring the Deputy that I am keenly aware that the right to asylum is a fundamental right in the EU guaranteed by the treaty and the Charter of Fundamental Rights and confirmed by the proposals under the pact on migration and asylum. The EU asylum and migration pact will ensure Europe acts as a collective in terms of how migration, and in particular asylum, is managed to ensure the system is firmer but also that it continues to be fair.

Protections in relation to fundamental rights for international protection applicants are provided for throughout the process with additional safeguards for children and unaccompanied children, including legal representation and a multidisciplinary age assessment. Additional safeguards have been also incorporated in relation to families with minors to ensure their processing is prioritised once admitted into the border procedure and that they always reside in facilities that comply with the reception conditions directive.

Of course, the people of Ireland are deeply conscious of our moral and legal responsibility to those fleeing war and persecution. The pact will accelerate the processing of international protection applications. Those who are entitled to international protection will be granted it and it will make it easier to return those found not to be entitled to protection. It will introduce greater security checking of applicants. It will reduce the volume of secondary movement and make it easier to transfer applicants to the member state responsible. It will reduce the amount of time people spend in state-provided accommodation and support the return of people found not to be entitled to protection. The asylum and migration pact has therefore been designed to establish a common approach to migration and asylum that is based on solidarity, responsibility and, importantly, respect for human rights. That will not change if we opt into it, as I hope we do. This is about making sure that those who genuinely need our protection can access it. A point was raised earlier, namely, that just because the system is condensed or made faster does not mean that the rights of individuals are not in any way affected. People's individual rights will be protected even if it is through an accelerated procedure, which is being proposed in this directive.

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