Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1430. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons that have been placed in direct provision centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1809/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department is taking all necessary steps to manage the international protection process fairly, efficiently and effectively, as part of the broader Government response, while ensuring the integrity of Ireland's rules-based immigration system is maintained.

Where an international protection application, encompassing the three component elements of refugee status, subsidiary protection and permission to remain, is refused, the relevant applicant is notified of this decision. At this point, the individual is given the option of engaging with a voluntary returns process with the assistance of the Department and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Many people choose to leave at this point and do not inform the authorities of their departure.

If they choose not to opt for voluntary return, the Minister will issue a deportation order under the International Protection Act. It is the case that many hundreds of individuals who were subject to Deportation Orders have left the State without notifying the relevant authorities. While it is not possible to provide definitive figures for the number of such persons, the Garda National Immigration Bureau has reviewed a large sample of the cases subject to deportation orders and their inquiries suggest a very significant number of these individuals have left the State.

Please see below tables showing the number of persons who applied for international protection in Ireland in 2022 and 2023 broken down, by country of origin.

Notes

- Figures are correct at time of issue and may be subject to data cleansing.

- It is the policy of the Department not to release numbers where there are less than 5 in respect of any nationality, as there is a possibility that a person may be identifiable by releasing such information.