Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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168. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress to date in determination of an application in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1254/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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If the person whose details were supplied has made an application for asylum or subsidiary protection in the State, the Deputy will be aware 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 26 of the International Protection Act 2015.

The International Protection Act 2015, which repealed the Refugee Act, 1996, was commenced on 31 December 2016, and introduced new arrangements for the investigation and determination of applications for International Protection (refugee status and subsidiary protection) and cases involving permission to remain in the State. Such applications will now be processed as part of a single application procedure by the International Protection Office.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) wrote to all applicants in December 2016 to advise them that, insofar as it is required under the transitional requirement in the 2015 Act, they (INIS) would be in touch with them in January 2017 if the new procedures in the 2015 Act applied to their existing application or appeal. Applicants were also advised that they might be asked at that time to provide additional information to assist in the processing of their application.