Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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318. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will consider closing the International Protection Office on Mount Street and establishing smaller application centres throughout the country, in order that all applicants are not required to congregate on Mount Street, Dublin 2; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37492/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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In recent years, I have increased investment at every level of the international protection system, including in the International Protection Office, to deal effectively with the increase in applications. As a consequence, there are now more than 500 staff based at the Mount Street premises, involved in all stages of the international protection process, from initial registration, through to interview and issuing of determinations.

The location of the office, which has been in use for this purpose for more than 20 years, is highly accessible for applicants, staff and the multiple other agencies involved in the process. Moreover, it has been configured and equipped to deal with the complex requirements for reception and interviewing of applicants. In fact, further investment is being made this winter to improve the layout and facilities of the reception area, where applicants go through the initial steps of the application process.

I can, however, advise the Deputy that, as a result of the increase in applications, my Department has opened a second processing centre to register families accompanied by children at the Citywest complex. Since this processing site was opened last April, approximately half of all new applications for International Protection have been made there. This has significantly reduced the number of applications that may otherwise have been made at the Mount Street location.

The IPO is also exploring innovative means of expanding interview and registration capacity, including piloting of remote interviews and, in the context of the Migration Pact implementation, co-location with IPAS accommodation centres.

These steps will likely further vary how and where my Department locates our processing, but given the continued high volume of applications, and the considerable investment in the well-established capacity provided at Mount Street, there are no plans to cease to rely on that location.