Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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1582.To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to outline in detail the changes made in the past six months to the process for people seeking international protection. [32921/24]

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, while ensuring the integrity of Ireland's rules-based immigration system is maintained.

In particular, my Department continues to take steps to increase the number of interviews scheduled, and the number of cases completed in the International Protection Office (IPO). This is being achieved through extra investment, the hiring of additional staff, and the introduction of a number of additional initiatives, including remote interviews and digital applications.

Changes implemented in the last six months relating to the processing of international protection applications are detailed below:

• Seven additional countries were added to the to the safe country list this year. Algeria and Botswana were added early this year and there has been a drop of more than 50% in applications from these countries. Brazil, Egypt, India, Malawi, and Morocco were also added to the list on the 3^rdof July 2024.
• Accelerated processing was extended to whatever country has the highest number of applicants in the previous 3-month period. This country is currently Nigeria, which has seen a 53% drop in applications since the commencement of the accelerated process in April 2024.
• Since 10 April 2024, the IPO has been operating a second location for registering families accompanied by children at Citywest Convention Centre, Saggart, Co. Dublin.
• The Dáil recently approved the motion to opt into the EU Migration and Asylum Pact. The Pact will significantly reform the current approach to migration and asylum in Ireland including the processing of international protection applications. My officials will now start to prepare the General Scheme of new legislation to replace the International Protection Act 2015. An Interdepartmental Programme Board chaired by my Department has been established to develop and deliver the implementation plan for the Pact. Initial preparatory meetings with senior stakeholders from across Government Departments and Agencies have been held.

• Suspended visa free travel for refugees who have been issued with travel documents by other EU Member States.
• Provided specific funding to An Garda Síochána for a programme to assign Garda Airline Liaison Officers to European Transport Hubs to prevent irregular migration.
• Assigned additional resources in Dublin Airport to carry out ‘doorstop’ operations on flights that pose risks of irregular migration. Over 3700 ‘doorstop’ operations were carried out in the first half of 2024.
• An Garda Síochána have arrested over 115 people in the first half of 2024 for arriving without appropriate documentation and a significant number have been convicted.
• The number of undocumented arrivals at Dublin Airport in 2024 has reduced by 14% compared to the same period (January to end May) in 2023 (during which time the number of arrivals increased by 6%) and down 42% on the same period in 2022.
• The Border Management Unit continues to provide training and 24-hour advice to Airlines on how to identify and deal with immigration abuse.
• A review of Carrier Liability legislation has been completed and new increased levels of fines will shortly be introduced.
• Enforced deportations are up 128% and voluntary returns are up 157% up to 21 July 2024 when compared to the same period last year; both more than doubled.
• Charter flights will be required to support the removal process, commencing later this year; a procurement process for this is well advanced.
• The process to release up to 100 more Gardaí to support immigration enforcement activities is advancing and will be substantially completed within the next 12 months. All routine immigration work at Dublin Airport has been transferred to the Border Management Unit and the transfer of immigration registration duties outside of Dublin have largely been civilianised.
• Engagement between Department of Justice and the Home Office and An Garda Síochána and PSNI around protecting the Common Travel Area (CTA) from abuses is ongoing.
• Border Management Unit (BMU), Garda National immigration Bureau (GNIB) and colleagues in the UK Border Force and Immigration Enforcement, engage via joint operations and intelligence-sharing to respond to current trends of CTA travel and suspected areas of abuse.
• Immigration investigations and enforcement action are being undertaken on a daily basis by the GNIB who work closely with their counterparts in UK Border Force and Immigration Enforcement in Joint operations to detect and tackle abuses of the CTA. Operation Sonnet is a Garda operation targeting abuse of the CTA and has been ongoing for some time. It targets people attempting to abuse the CTA by illegally crossing the Irish border from Northern Ireland.
• Legislation to respond to a High Court judgment will be enacted in the coming months to and allow for the designation of safe third countries in relation to inadmissible applications.