Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 June 2021
333. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice the status of the commitment in the White Paper to End Direct Provision to reduce processing times of both first instance decisions and appeals to six months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30334/21]
View answer334. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 1492 of 21 April 2021, the status of the end-to-end review of processes to guide enhanced processing times of first instance international protection decisions and appeals to six months; when the review will be completed and published; the person or body undertaking the review; the terms of reference of the review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30335/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 333 and 334 together.
My Department is committed to implementing the key recommendations in the Advisory Group Report and the White Paper to reduce international protection processing times of both first instance decisions and appeals to 6 months respectively.
A Programme Board has been established in my Department to oversee the implementation of the relevant recommendations and is supported by an Implementation Working Group. My Department will also be represented on a Programme Board to be established and chaired by my colleague, Minister O'Gorman, which will set performance indicators for the new model and monitor progress against those indicators.
The White Paper proposes that the new system should be phased in and operational by 2023 and that the intervening period should provide an opportunity to progress improvements in the overall processing times for international protection.
Work is under way in my Department towards identifying mechanisms which will assist with this. For example, additional ICT resources have been secured for this year, and detailed practical work, including the end-to-end review by a multi-disciplinary team from within my Department of processes to guide enhanced processing times, has now been completed. A detailed set of actions on foot of the review is being devised for consideration by the Programme Board. I expect the Programme Board to report to me shortly on progress.
Question No. 334 answered with Question No. 333.
