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

We are continually investing in the overall immigration system. There has been a particular focus on the IPO because of the significant increase in the number of international protection applicants. We have almost doubled the number of staff. This has allowed us to improve the systems. I need to make sure that any of the other applications or routes do not suffer time-wise. This is why there is so much emphasis on moving to an online system. So many of these applications can be processed in a much quicker way without needing individuals to be able to do it. Additional funding of €34 million has been allocated to improve and expand the teams that we have. The more people we have the more we can spread across the system.

I assure the Deputy that the Department has always engaged with other Departments, be it social protection, integration or others, to make sure we have a joined-up system and a joined-up approach. If people should be in receipt of social welfare it is important that they do receive it once they have approval or a proper stamp, whatever that might be. Where this is not the case we need to make sure that people are not in any way misusing the system. There is ongoing engagement between the Departments in this regard. Overall a great deal of progress has been made over the years. I want this system to be as good as it can be for Members.

That is why I am going to survey people later this year to see if the changes have led to improvements. I hope that people will be more pleased with the level of detail they get on individual applications.

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