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

My Department has taken a significant number of measures to increase the capacity of the international protection system. Reforms to this process will continue this year and beyond.

In November 2022, I introduced an accelerated procedure for international protection applicants from designated safe countries of origin. This now applies to ten countries, with Botswana and Algeria added this January. These applicants now typically receive a first instance decision in less than three months and the number of applications from these safe countries has reduced by more than 50% compared to the previous 12-month period. I am in the process of reviewing a further eight countries in terms of safe country of origin status.

Last July, I published a report on the international protection modernisation programme from 2023 to 2024. This involved unparalleled investment in staff, panel members, re-engineered processes, and technology. We have implemented measures to improve efficiencies and throughput and enhanced the application, interview and decision-making process for applicants. This has already demonstrated results, with the International Protection Office confident of delivering more than 14,000 decisions this year. Approximately €34 million in additional funding was allocated in 2024's budget. The IPO and the International Protection Appeals Tribunal will continue to scale up with this funding.

As the Deputy will be aware, we will shortly seek approval to opt into the EU migration pact. We just had discussions this afternoon and will have more next week. The pact will further enhance our capacity and build on what has been achieved. The pact will significantly reform the current approach to migration and asylum in Ireland and across the wider EU by providing a robust legislative framework to address the challenges faced in this regard. It will speed up processing of international protection applications so that we have a firmer and fairer system. Under the accelerated procedure that I mentioned, we already have the ability to turn around applications more quickly and support those who genuinely need our protection. For those who do not, the sooner we can give them a negative decision, the easier it is to remove them. The pact will introduce greater security checking of applicants.

This is a situation we cannot deal with on our own. We need co-operation and to work together, which is what the pact is proposing.

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