Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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335. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she is aware of an asylum case for persons (details supplied); if the Minister will instruct her Department to grant asylum, ensuring protection for these LGBTQ+ people; if not, to provide the reason why; if she will address the reports of “inhumane treatment” for those seeking asylum; and if she will address the fact that this case warrants a review of the system in relation to how a country is classified as a “safe country of origin”. [38769/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The health and wellbeing of all people who apply for international protection is of the highest priority to me and my Department.

As the Deputy may be aware, my Department is unable to publish any information that would identify any person as being an international protection applicant. This is a separate matter to the law dealing with data protection matters more generally.?

My officials and I are legally obliged, under Section 26 of the International Protection Act 2015, to ensure that the identity of any person who applies for international protection is kept confidential. Section 26(1) sets out that:

?“the Minister and the Tribunal and their respective officers shall take all practicable steps to ensure that the identity of applicants is kept confidential”.

As I am sure you will appreciate, these confidentiality requirements are especially important for an asylum-seeker, whose claim inherently supposes a fear of persecution by the authorities of their home country and whose situation, or that of their family or friends still living in the country from which they have sought protection, can be jeopardised if the protection of their personal information is not ensured.

I can inform to the Deputy that in making the assessment to designate a country as safe, it is considered, among other things, the extent to which protection is provided against persecution or mistreatment by:

• The relevant laws and regulations of the country and the manner in which they are applied. • The observance of the rights and freedoms laid down in specified European and International Conventions. • Respect for the principle of non-refoulement in accordance with the Geneva Convention. • Provision for a system of effective remedies against violation of those rights and freedoms. The assessment is based on a range of sources of information, including from other EU Member States, the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Council of Europe and other international organisations as? appropriate.

I would also like to advise the Deputy that I keep the list of safe countries under review.

More generally, if an applicant for international protection is from a country designated as a safe country of origin, their application will still receive a full consideration on its merits by the International Protection Office.

Any queries in relation to reception conditions for international protection applicants are the responsibility of the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability and Integration. They can be contacted at ipasinbox@equality.gov.ie.