Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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724. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons seeking international protection in each of the past ten years by country of origin for this period. [13395/21]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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728. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the breakdown of the circumstances in relation to applicants for international protection over the past ten years with regard to unaccompanied minors, single adults, couples and couples with extended families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13406/21]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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730. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the breakdown of applicants for international protection over the past ten years by the number of unaccompanied minors, single adults, couples and couples with children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13422/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 724, 728 and 730 together.

The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the tables attached to this response.

Statistics in respect of single adults, couples and couples with extended families are not readily available. However, to be of assistance to the Deputy we have provided the number of applicants who, at time of application, were over 18 years of age, under 18 years of age or an unaccompanied minor for each of the years requested.

Where the number of decisions for individual countries is low (less than 6), a breakdown by country is not provided. This is for reasons of confidentiality, as provided for under Section 26 of the International Protection Act 2015.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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725. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applications for international protection which were decided definitively in each of the past ten years; the number of applications which were declined international protection in each of the past ten years; and the country of origin of these applicants. [13397/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the tables attached to this response.The figures relate to the year in which the decision was made, not the year in which the application was made.

Decisions on international protection are made by the Ministerial Decisions Unit (MDU) of my Department. MDU processes the recommendations received from the International Protection Office (IPO) and the decisions of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT).

Where the number of decisions for individual countries is low (less than 6), a breakdown by country is not provided. This is for reasons of confidentiality, as provided for under Section 26 of the International Protection Act 2015.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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726. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the State operates a system of safe countries in which applicants for international protection from such countries are deemed to be inadmissible due to the satisfaction of the State with the rule of law, human rights, the independence of the court system and the treatment of minorities in such jurisdictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13401/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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There are two safe country concepts that can apply to applicants for international protection under EU law, namely Safe Country of Origin and Safe Third Country.

Under section 72 of the International Protection Act 2015, and the International Protection Act 2015 (Safe Countries of Origin) Order 2018 (Statutory Instrument no 121 of 2018), the following countries were designated as safe countries of origin with effect from 16 April 2018:

- Albania;

- Bosnia and Herzegovina;

- Georgia;

- Kosovo;

- Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of);

- Montenegro;

- Serbia; and

- South Africa.

If an applicant for international protection in the State is from one of these countries, their application will still receive a full consideration on its merits in the International Protection Office (IPO). They are not deemed inadmissible merely by coming from one of these countries.

If the recommendation of an International Protection Officer is that the applicant should be given neither a refugee declaration nor a subsidiary protection declaration and includes the finding that they are from a safe country of origin, an appeal can be lodged in writing within 10 working days to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT). Unless the IPAT considers it is not in the interests of justice to do so, it shall make its decision in relation to the appeal without holding an oral hearing.

Part 18 of the Brexit Omnibus Act 2020, which was commenced at 11:00 pm on 31 December 2020, amends the International Protection Act 2015, to enable the Minister for Justice to designate a country as a Safe Third Country, where certain conditions are met in that country including:

- life and liberty are not threatened on account of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion;

- the principle of non-refoulement is respected; and

- the possibility exists to request refugee status and if found to be a refugee to receive protection in accordance with the Geneva Convention.

Where a person arrives here from a country designated as a Safe Third Country and claims international protection their application can be determined as inadmissible and the person returned to the safe third county for their application for protection to be considered there. This is in line with the EU Procedures Directive (2005/85/EU).

Before an application can be determined as inadmissible, the third country must be considered safe for the person concerned including that they will not be subjected to the death penalty, torture, or other inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and they have a sufficient connection with that country such that it would be reasonable for them to be returned there.

Following the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU and an examination of the necessary criteria, the International Protection Act 2015 (Safe Third Country) Order 2020, came into effect from 11:00 pm on 31 December 2020. The Order designates the UK as a safe third country for the purpose of the International Protection Act 2015, and enables the Minister for Justice to determine an application for international protection as inadmissible where the person has arrived in the State from the UK and where the relevant criteria are met.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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727. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applicants for international protection whose applications were declined in each of the past ten years who were subsequently deported; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13404/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm that in line with the clear commitments that both I and the Taoiseach have given, the position remains that no further deportation orders are being enforced during the Covid-19 pandemic, except in circumstances where an individual may be a threat to national security, and whose presence in Ireland would be contrary to the public interest.

The table below outlines the number of effected Deportation Orders (DOs) by year as a result of refused asylum/international protection applications since 2011.

The number of effected DOs over any given period, is a combination of people deported or forcibly removed by the Garda National Immigration Bureau, as well as people who have left the State themselves on foot of a DO, in cases where this has come to the attention of the relevant authorities.

Refused applicants are notified of final decisions by the Ministerial Decisions Unit (MDU) of the International Protection Office (IPO). Annual figures of MDU refusals are also included in the table below.

The figures include international protection applications refused under the provisions of the Refugee Act 1996, the Subsidiary Protection Regulations 2006 and 2013 and the International Protection Act 2015.

The figures for deportation orders effected in a particular year will inevitably include orders made in a previous year.