Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

91. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 140 of 30 November 2022, the reason that giving a breakdown of nationalities would breach the right to anonymity of those applicants, given that his Department has clearly determined that providing details of their gender, age and family status does not affect their right to anonymity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61252/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Deputy, my Department releases generic information such as age ranges and gender as these are traits common to people in the entire country. As such, they cannot be used to locate or identify a specific person.

However, nationality is more specific and may identify a person as an International Protection (IP) applicant. In addition, the person making the application is doing so on the basis that they are being persecuted or discriminated in their country of origin and they may have good reasons not to attract the attention of people they have fled from at home or of the diplomatic or security services of the country of ther nationality.

My Department cannot specify nationality as, given the nature of the application, would leave this person's anonymity in jeopardy and may put them at risk.

Under Section 26 of the International Protection Act 2015, the right to confidentiality of an IP applicant's identity is protected.  Section 26(1) states that "The Minister and the Tribunal and their respective officers shall take all practicable steps to ensure that the identity of applicants is kept confidential".

I trust this information clarifies the matter.