Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is correct that it is not specified in the Bill. The staff of the international protection office will be civil servants transferred from the Refugee Application Service to take up this role. They will be civil servants who, as I said, will be trained to UNHCR standard. I assume what the Deputies opposite are suggesting is the highest possible standards in the processing of applications might not be adhered to. We must have a system in which people can have faith. In this regard, there are international standards we have to uphold. As a country, we must ensure our international process is in line with that in place in every other European country. Our protection process in recent years has not been one of which we can be proud. Part of the reason for this is legislation of this type has not been given priority for more than 15 years. We are now in a position where we can address this issue appropriately. I can assure Deputies that international protection officers will be civil servants who will be trained to UNHCR standard and that we will deal with applications on that basis.

The asylum status is a fundamental international status and the UNHCR is strong in its opinion that it should retain that international status for many different reasons. The Bill will proceed on that basis. The suggestion about outsourcing and privatisation does not stand up to scrutiny. These will be civil servants trained to the highest UNHCR standards.

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