Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that if the person whose details were supplied has made an application for asylum or subsidiary protection in the State, the Deputy is advised that it is not the practice to comment on such applications until they have fully completed the protection process. This is in accordance with Section 19(1) of the Refugee Act, 1996 (as amended) which provides for the protection of the identity of protection applicants.

Information in relation to any applicant, other than to a duly authorised Legal Representative, can only be issued by the protection determining bodies (Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal) with the written approval of the applicant. Protection applicants, or their legal representatives, are of course entitled to raise an enquiry with the relevant determining body as to the status of their application at any stage of the protection process.