Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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1077. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the communication activities and the form in which his Department engaged in 2022 that specifically targeted Albanian and Georgian nationals to draw their attention to the Irish asylum programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63601/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm for the Deputy that my Department has not engaged in any communication activities specifically aimed at informing nationals of Albania or Georgia about Ireland’s international protection system or its application procedure. It would not be appropriate for my Department to engage in such an activity as it is open to any person regardless of their nationality to make an application for international protection in the State. As per the provisions of section 15(1) of the International Protection Act 2015 a person must be in the State or at the frontiers of the State to make such an application.

An international protection applicant is someone who has left their country and seeks protection in another country. Seeking protection is a human right and when someone asks for protection at the border of a country, that country’s authorities must examine that application. Ireland, as a party to the Geneva Convention, must also meet this obligation. The International Protection Office (IPO) of my Department is responsible for examining all international protection applications received. The staff of the IPO are independent by law in the exercise of their international protection functions.

My Department will continue to take all necessary steps to manage the international protection process efficiently and effectively, as part of the broader whole of Government response, while ensuring the integrity of the immigration system is maintained. My Department is also committed to reducing processing times for international protection applicants.

On November 8 2022, the International Protection Office (IPO) introduced accelerated procedures for international protection applicants from safe countries of origin (designated countries include Georgia and Albania). The Minister designates certain countries as safe countries of origin pursuant to section 72 of the International Protection Act, 2015.

All applications are examined fully and individually on their merits, including those from countries which are designated as safe countries of origin. An applicant from a safe country of origin is afforded the opportunity to submit grounds (in writing and/or at interview) as to why his or her country is not safe for him or her and those grounds are given due consideration. Otherwise that country is deemed to be a safe country of origin for the applicant.