Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

What the Minister of State said sounds very good but, unfortunately, that is all it does. The Department has outlined that it wants to process applications within nine months. What the Minister of State failed to mention in his reply is that the median processing time for all cases processed to completion by the international protection office in quarter 1 2021 was 22.2 months. It took 16.1 months for prioritised cases. That means refugees who have to appeal an initial decision could be waiting for approximately three and a half years from the date of application for protection until approval that they can reunify with their families. That is the reality of the situation.

Some 1,655 applicants were awaiting a decision on appeal as of February 2021. In March 2021, 2,646 individuals were waiting between 12 and 24 months for first-instance decisions and 1,345 were waiting more than 24 months. That is the reality. It is not all down to the pandemic, although it provides a convenient excuse.

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