Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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270. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason for delays in issuing correspondence to those granted refugee or International Protection Office status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4422/19]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that, if persons have applied to the International Protection Office for international protection and feel that there is a delay in receiving a recommendation letter from the IPO in relation to that application, they or their designated legal advisor should contact the International Protection Office (IPO) directly, either by email to info@ipo.gov.ie, by telephone to the IPO Customer Service Centre at 01 6028008, or in writing to Customer Service Centre, International Protection Office, 79-83 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2.

I should point out that a recommendation letter from the IPO is not in itself a grant or status letter but, rather, a recommendation to the Minister that an international protection grant should be made or not made. Receipt of a recommendation letter from the IPO does not necessarily indicate that a Ministerial grant is imminent, as the Minister has to ensure that all due diligence is done before issuing an international protection declaration.

If, having received a negative recommendation from the IPO, applicants have appealed it to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT), they should contact the IPAT if they feel there is a delay in relation to their appeal. The IPAT operates an email service that can be contacted by individuals with any queries regarding their application - info@protectionappeals.ie. As with the IPO recommendation letters, if an applicant receives a decision letter from the IPAT indicating that a negative recommendation from the IPO has been set aside, she or he should be aware that certain processing procedures are due from this point on and that they should allow a period of time for the Minister's decision to issue and not to anticipate an immediate grant.

Applicants can be assured that, having received a recommendation letter from the IPO or a decision from the IPAT in relation to an appeal, they will hear from the Minister as soon as possible in relation to their application.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.