Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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545. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons seeking international protection arriving from other EU member states or safe countries who have passed through immigration since January 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57440/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department does not have statistics relating to number of people seeking International Protection that have passed through other EU member states or safe countries before arriving in Ireland.

The State is required to examine applications for international protection by anyone who is at the borders of the State or is in the State and indicates they wish to make an application. This is in accordance with our obligations under international and EU asylum law, which does not allow any Member State to place a cap on the numbers of persons who may apply for international protection.

An application made by a person where one or more than one of the following circumstances applies can be deemed inadmissible:

(a) another Member State has granted refugee status or subsidiary protection status to the person

(b) a country other than a Member State is, a first country of asylum for the person.

(c) the person arrived in the State from a safe third country, that is in accordance with section 21(17) of the 2015 Act, a safe country for the person.

Under Section 21(15) of the International Protection Act 2015, a country is a first country of asylum for a person if he or she (a) (i) has been recognised in that country as a refugee and can still avail himself or herself of that protection, or (ii) otherwise enjoys sufficient protection in that country, including benefiting from the principle of non-refoulement and (b) will be re-admitted to that country.