Holly Cairns
Question:157. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the steps she is taking to address the recommendations regarding the international protection system in a report on the process (details supplied). [7042/22]
View answerThursday, 17 February 2022
Questions (157)
Written answers
My Department is fully committed to implementing the key recommendations in the Expert Advisory Group Report to reduce processing times of both first instance decisions and appeals to 6 months respectively, as outlined in the White Paper to End Direct Provision and Establish a New International Protection Support Service.
The White Paper proposes that the new system should be operational by 2024 and that the intervening period should provide an opportunity to progress improvements in the overall processing times for international protection.
An end-to-end review of relevant international protection processes by a multi-disciplinary team from my Department, has now been completed and published. Over the last number of months, my Department has implemented measures to assist in meeting its overall objectives in this regard and improve on efficiencies and case throughput.
One such measure is the careful identification of certain applications that may proceed without the need for an interview. While applicants for international protection are generally interviewed, the legislation allows a trained international protection officer to dispense with the interview if they are of the opinion that, based on the available evidence, the applicant is a person that should be granted a refugee declaration.
Other measures include the restructuring of teams within the International Protection Office (IPO) to allow for more efficient workflow, identification and streamlining of processes and ensuring that staff are directed to the areas where they can add most value.
A case management function has been implemented to have oversight of applications and ensure they are moved through the process without unnecessary delay. Additional staff have also been trained to conduct interviews, which has increased interviewing capacity, and a revised, “plain English” approved, shorter international protection questionnaire is in place since 28 June 2021, and is available in a wide selection of languages. Applicants can also now fill in the questionnaire online and submit it by e-mail to the IPO. The online questionnaire is currently available in English, French and Arabic, with more languages to follow.
The Regularisation Scheme for Long-Term Undocumented Migrants includes a parallel process to implement recommendation 6.2 of the Catherine Day Expert Advisory Group Report. International protection applicants who have an outstanding application for international protection and have been in the asylum process for a minimum of two years can now apply for consideration under this separate strand of the Regularisation Scheme. My Department has recently written to approximately 4,000 potentially eligible applicants inviting them to apply under the Scheme.
My Department will, by October 2022 at the latest, commence a review of progress made in reducing and improving processing times.
With regard to recommendation 3.15 of the Report of the Expert Advisory Group this is currently being considered by the Legal Aid Board in terms of resourcing and requirements, and my Department continues to engage with them.