Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Regarding the International Protection Office on Mount Street, I welcome the fact, as the Minister has told us previously, that applications can now be made in Citywest. As the Minister will be aware, though, there has been a significant increase in the numbers of people applying. Yet all of them, aside from those people who go to Citywest, must apply in Mount Street. If we look at the situation in other European countries, we can see they decentralise their application process and there is more than one place for people to apply. Why do we persist with the trend that all applicants aside from those in Citywest must apply in Mount Street? I ask this because I am sure the Minister is aware of the pressure this puts on that office.