Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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108. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the detail of the new application form as part of a re-application process for asylum seekers issued by her Department or the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service; the reason for the new application form; the date on which this was issued; the deadline for submitting; and the number of legal advisors available to assist with completing the applications. [9700/17]

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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167. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason the International Protection Office has issued a 60-page application form to be returned within 20 days to residents in direct provision centres which does not allow them time to get advice on the completion of the form that will have a direct bearing on the success or not of an asylum application; if she will ensure that each applicant will have adequate legal advice prior to completing the form and allow enough time for applicants to take advice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10394/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 167 together.

I refer the Deputy to my responses to Questions 112 and 113 of Tuesday 21 February 2017, and to Questions 86, 87, 88, 89 and 102 of Thursday 23 February 2017, in which I explained the background to the issue of the Application for International Protection Questionnaire (Form IPO 2) and dealt comprehensively with the issue of the time afforded to applicants for protection to complete the questionnaire. I also referred to the Legal Aid Board's role in assisting with the completion of the questionnaire.

A specialised service for international protection applicants is provided out of Legal Aid Board law centres in Dublin, Cork, and Galway. There is a total of 23.62 solicitors, and 7.8 paralegals (full time equivalents). It is important to note that not every solicitor in the above law centres are engaged in the provision of services in the area of international protection, nor does every solicitor engaged in the provision of services in the area of international protection deal exclusively with that area. A complementary service in international protection matters is provided by solicitors in private practice who have agreed to provide services on behalf of the Board. There are currently 67 solicitors on the international protection solicitors' panel with a number of applications remaining to be processed. The service provided by solicitors on the panel in relation to an application for international protection is the same service that would be provided by a law centre. Law centres refer applicants to the panel having regard to their workload and other guidelines laid down by Board management from time to time.

Additional staffing of 15 full time equivalents for the Legal Aid Board was approved by my Department in 2016, including clerical and legal grades. In addition, the budget assigned by the Board for referrals to the solicitors' panel has been increased to €250,000 for 2017.