Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department takes all necessary steps to manage the international protection process efficiently and effectively, while ensuring the integrity of those processes is maintained at all times. 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.

The following countries were designated as safe countries of origin with effect from 16 April 2018 under the International Protection Act 2015 (Safe Countries of Origin) Order 2018:

• Albania;
• Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Georgia;
• Kosovo;
• Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of);
• Montenegro;
• Serbia; and
• South Africa.

On November 8 2022, the International Protection Office (IPO) introduced accelerated procedures for international protection applicants from 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 their country is not safe for them and those grounds are given due consideration. Furthermore, all applicants have the right to appeal a negative recommendation by the IPO to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT).

Overall, my Department is working to minimise the timeframe for receiving a decision on an international protection application, allowing those eligible to remain the opportunity to rebuild their lives. Those who are not entitled to the protection of the State will also be advised of that fact as quickly as possible.

The table below gives a breakdown of the number of international protection applicants who sought protection in Ireland from six of the designated safe countries referenced in Deputy's question in each of the past 24 months, in tabular form. In relation to the remaining designated safe countries Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro, noapplications have made between June 2021 to June 2023.

Breakdown of applications from designated safe countries June 2021 to June 2022*

Year/ Month	Albania	Georgia	Kosovo / UNSCR 1244	South Africa	Serbia	The Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia
2021
June	7	0	0	0	0	0
July	5	17	<=5	8	0	0
August	5	54	0	11	0	0
September	8	67	<=5	19	0	0
October	11	45	0	19	0	0
November	12	46	0	17	<=5	0
December	<=5	77	0	14	0	0
2022
January	<=5	49	<=5	14	0	0
February	8	57	0	24	0	<=5
March	17	114	<=5	41	0	0
April	17	198	0	54	0	0
May	27	340	0	48	0	0
June	12	424	0	53	0	0
July	23	335	<=5	44	0	0
August	24	277	0	23	0	0
September	28	266	0	42	0	0
October	24	240	5	26	0	0
November	23	244	7	34	0	0
December	13	166	8	47	0	0
2023
January	21	145	5	59	0	0
February	11	84	6	17	0	0
March	14	54	5	37	0	0
April	8	37	<=5	33	0	0
May	9	47	<=5	31	0	0
June	20	60	<=5	52	0	0
Total	352	3447	48	767	<=5	<=5

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