Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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117. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of pre-International Protection Bill 2015 asylum seekers still waiting to be processed; the number which have been given papers since the Bill was passed in November 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17649/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to the date the relevant sections of the International Act were commenced and came into force rather than its enactment. This occurred on 31 December 2016.

At the end of March 2017, there were 3,580 applications (provisional figure) waiting to be processed under the International Protection Act 2015 which were transferred to the IPO from the former ORAC or the former Refugee Appeals Tribunal (RAT).

As all asylum applications pending in the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC) on 30 December 2016 were transferred to the International Protection Office (IPO) for processing under the transitional provisions in the International Protection Act, 2015, there are no applications currently waiting to be processed at first instance under the Refugee Act 1996 as amended.

In terms of second instance applications, The International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) has accepted 21 appeals for processing under the Refugee Act, 1996 (as amended) after the commencement date of the international Protection Act 2015. In accordance with the transitional provisions of the International Protection Act, these cases are being processed under the Refugee Act, 1996 (as amended). All 21 appeals have been assigned to members of the Tribunal and are at various stages of processing.

Regarding the numbers of persons that have been granted asylum in Ireland since 1 January, 2017, I can inform the Deputy that to date 47 individuals have been granted asylum and 27 individuals have been granted subsidiary protection in Ireland this year.

The commencement of the International Protection Act 2015 at the beginning of this year represents a fundamental reform of the system for assessing the applications of those seeking international protection in Ireland. The new system will ensure that all aspects of a person's claim (Asylum, Subsidiary protection and Humanitarian Leave to Remain) are considered together rather than sequentially as heretofore. The new single application procedure under the International Protection Act 2015, will, in time, significantly accelerate the protection determination process and by extension will reduce the length of time which applicants spend in State provided accommodation.