Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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166. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress made to date on the processing of subsidiary protection applications since the introduction of new regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15752/14]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, last November I introduced new Regulations, the European Union (Subsidiary Protection) Regulations 2013 (SI No. 426 of 2013), governing the processing of subsidiary protection applications. Under the new Regulations responsibility for the investigation of such applications now rests with the Refugee Applications Commissioner. Following the commencement of the new Regulations, persons with applications for subsidiary protection on hand with my Department under the previous subsidiary protection regime, were contacted by letter to explain the new arrangements for the processing of their applications, including the arrangements with regard to personal interviews.

A panel of legally qualified persons has been established to assist the Commissioner with the investigation of these applications and training has been provided in conjunction with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The process of interviewing applicants is well underway following the commencement of interviews on 12 December 2013.

To date over 1400 applicants have indicated their wish to proceed with their applications. By the end of March 2014, interviews had been scheduled in respect of some 360 applicants. The Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner has advised that the process of issuing recommendations in relation to subsidiary protection status has begun.

The Refugee Applications Commissioner announced on 19 March 2014 that, in accordance with the new Regulations, he is according priority to certain classes of applications for subsidiary protection. I am informed by the Commissioner that two processing streams have been established to be run concurrently, one prioritising for interview scheduling mainly on the basis of oldest applications first, the other prioritising for interview scheduling the following classes of applicants, also mainly on the basis of oldest cases first:

- unaccompanied minors in the care of the HSE

- applicants who applied as unaccompanied minors, but who have now aged out

- applicants over 70 years of age, who are not part of a family group

- applicants with medico-legal reports indicating likely well-foundedness

- applicants from the following countries which on the basis of country of origin information, protection determination rates in EU member states and UNHCR position papers indicate the likely well-foundedness of their applications, viz., Afghanistan, Chad, Eritrea, Iraq, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Syria.