Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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202. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the Government will give consideration to granting refugee status to persons fleeing the ongoing persecution within Venezuela; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42523/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that Ireland is a signatory to the United Nations 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees. As such, Ireland is bound by international law to provide international protection to refugees and it is an obligation taken very seriously by Government.

In the International Protection Act 2015, a refugee is defined as ‘a person...who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group, is outside his or her country of nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of that country, or a stateless person, who, being outside of the country of former habitual residence for the same reasons as mentioned above, is unable or, owing to such fear, unwilling to return to it’.

Applications for International Protection in Ireland are processed by the International Protection Office (IPO). The Chief International Protection Officer and the International Protection Officers of the Office are independent by law in the exercise of their international protection functions.

All applicants for international protection, including those made by Venezuelan nationals in Ireland, are carefully interviewed and their cases are individually assessed by trained caseworkers. The circumstances of each individual case is assessed having regard to both the subjective elements (the applicant’s own account or personal history) and objective elements (up-to-date information on the applicant’s country or place of origin). Supporting documentation submitted by applicants is also taken into account.