Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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1379. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the plans that are in place to address the delays in the international protection process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40240/21]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is committed to implementing the key recommendations in the Expert Advisory Group Report to reduce processing times of both first instance decisions and appeals to 6 months respectively, as outlined in the White Paper to End Direct Provision and Establish a New International Protection Support Service. 

A Programme Board has been established in my Department to oversee the implementation of the relevant recommendations and is supported by an Implementation Working Group. My Department will also be represented on a Programme Board being established by my colleague, Minister O'Gorman, which will set performance indicators for the new model and monitor progress against those indicators.  

The White Paper proposes that the new system should be phased in and operational by 2024 and that the intervening period should provide an opportunity to progress improvements in the overall processing times for international protection. 

Work is under way in my Department towards identifying mechanisms which will assist with this. For example, additional ICT resources have been secured for this year, and detailed practical work, including the end-to-end review of relevant international protection processes by a multi-disciplinary team from within my Department, has now been completed. A detailed set of actions on foot of the review is being devised for consideration by the Programme Board, which is expected to report to me shortly on progress.   

My Department's main focus now is to get its processing system functioning as effectively and efficiently as possible, while adhering to all measures in place to combat the spread of COVID-19.   

A number of initiatives have already been introduced, including the relocation of the Ministerial Decisions Unit to the IPO premises to improve work processes; the designation of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal as a body authorised to hold remote hearings; and the holding of virtual interviews with some applicants living outside of Dublin by the IPO, which resumed on 10 May. 

The IPO has also put in place a range of measures to improve efficiencies across a number of work streams, such as improved processes, implementation of non-cooperation measures, and initiatives to speed up the return of completed questionnaires from applicants. A new, shorter and more user-friendly questionnaire is being used since 28 June and the IPO has also agreed a new prioritisation schedule with UNHCR that is effective from 14 June. 

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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1380. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the current median processing times for an application for protection to the International Protection Office from the date of application to a decision being made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40258/21]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The International Protection Office of my Department has remained open to offer applicants a service, in line with our international obligations to allow those who wish to claim international protection the opportunity to do so. The provision of the facility to allow people claim international protection is considered an essential service at all times, including during the Covid-19 crisis.

Physical attendance in the office has been strictly limited in line with public health guidance. Ensuring the safety of applicants, legal representatives and staff has resulted in additional logistical challenges that have limited the processing of applications and efforts to improve processing times, including the target set to make first instance decisions in the vast majority of cases within 9 months. 

Despite these challenges, 2,276 applications for international protection were processed to completion last year – just under 67% of the total achieved in 2019. 

My Department's main focus now is to get its processing system functioning as effectively and efficiently as possible, while adhering to all measures in place to combat the spread of COVID-19.

My Department is committed to implementing the key recommendations in the Expert Advisory Group Report to reduce processing times of both first instance decisions and appeals to 6 months, as outlined in the White Paper to End Direct Provision and Establish a New International Protection Support Service. 

Work is under way in my Department towards identifying mechanisms which will assist with this. For example, additional ICT resources have been secured for this year, and detailed practical work, including the end-to-end review of relevant international protection processes by a multi-disciplinary team from within my Department, has now been completed.

The median processing times for applications processed to completion at first instance at the IPO in Q2 2021, are set out in the table below.