Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 November 2023
119. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the shortest, longest and average decision time for each step of the international protection process for the years 2013 to 2022 and to date in 2023, broken down by those on the safe countries list versus those that are not, in tabular form. [51349/23]
View answerMy Department is taking all necessary steps to manage the international protection process fairly and efficiently, as part of the broader Government response to this challenging issue.
The number of international protection applications last year was 13,650, a significant increase on recent years. It represents a 186% increase on the number received in 2019, the most recent year in which application numbers were not impacted by Covid-19.
In July this year, I published a report on the international protection modernisation programme for 2023 and 2024. This programme is implementing measures to improve efficiencies and throughput as well as improving the application, interview and decision-making process for applicants. This will give status to those who are entitled to international protection to rebuild their lives here, while also ensuring faster decision making in respect of those who do not meet the criteria.
Already these reforms are having a significant impact with the median processing time for first-instance decisions reducing from 18 months in 2022 down to 15 months in 2023. The median processing times for appeals is also down from 15 months at the beginning of 2022 to five months in 2023.
As part of this modernisation programme, I also signed a regulation in November 2022 to introduce an accelerated procedure for international protection applicants from designated safe countries of origin. These applicants now typically receive a first instance decision in less than three months, which is a significant reduction from a norm of 22 to 26 months early last year.
Reforms to the international protection process will continue in 2024. Approximately €34m was allocated in budget 2024 to the International Protection Office (IPO) and the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) to continue to scale up processing.
The data the Deputy requested regarding application decision times is detailed in the attached document.
It should be noted that in the very small number of cases with unusually long processing times, these are typically attributable to circumstances outside of the control of the Department. The reasons for such extended delays in processing can include an applicant who may have an ongoing Judicial Review, certain applicants may be uncontactable or missing, or may be a child with a separate application where a parent has already received a decision but contact has not been maintained with the Department, and some applicants may not be co-operating with the application process itself. Arrangements have been put in place to appropriately resolve such cases without further delay wherever feasible.
92% of cases decided in 2022 were processed in 3 years or less and 62% of cases decided in 2022 were processed in 2 years or less.
Notes:
- Statistics before 2017 are not easily available in the manner sought as data would have to be extracted from a number of legacy systems. With the introduction of the International Protection Act in 2016 and the creation of the International Protection Office a new database allows for easier collation of data in more recent years.
- Figures shown are correct at time of issue and may be subject to data cleansing.
|
IPO Application Process Times in Months |
||||||||||||||
|
IPO Determination Year |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 (up to 31st Oct) |
|||||||
|
Mean |
Median |
Mean |
Median |
Mean |
Median |
Mean |
Median |
Mean |
Median |
Mean |
Median |
Mean |
Median |
|
|
Total |
14 |
9 |
19 |
18 |
19 |
17 |
18 |
17 |
24 |
23 |
20 |
18 |
12 |
12 |
|
Accelerated Procedure |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
Standard Procedure |
14 |
9 |
19 |
18 |
19 |
17 |
18 |
17 |
24 |
23 |
20 |
18 |
14 |
13 |
|
Shortest Processing Time |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|||||||
|
Longest Processing Time |
131 |
108 |
142 |
118 |
89 |
170 |
77 |
|||||||
|
IPAT Application Process Times in Months |
||||||||||||||
|
IPAT Decision Year |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 (up to 31st Oct) |
|||||||
|
Mean |
Median |
Mean |
Median |
Mean |
Median |
Mean |
Median |
Mean |
Median |
Mean |
Median |
Mean |
Median |
|
|
Total |
7 |
5 |
7 |
6 |
7 |
6 |
10 |
9 |
14 |
13 |
12 |
10 |
7 |
5 |
|
Accelerated Procedure |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
4 |
4 |
|
Accelerated IP Appeal |
. |
. |
. |
. |
3 |
4 |
7 |
8 |
12 |
11 |
14 |
12 |
5 |
5 |
|
Dublin 111 |
. |
. |
4 |
5 |
7 |
7 |
13 |
12 |
18 |
14 |
9 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
|
Inadmissible Appeal |
3 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
7 |
7 |
20 |
18 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
Legacy - Asylum Appeal |
. |
. |
13 |
13 |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
|
SP Appeal - Legacy |
10 |
9 |
10 |
8 |
12 |
9 |
11 |
8 |
25 |
26 |
17 |
17 |
20 |
20 |
|
Subsequent Appeal |
2 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
6 |
5 |
10 |
8 |
8 |
4 |
23 |
5 |
|
Substantive IP Appeal |
3 |
3 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
6 |
10 |
9 |
15 |
14 |
12 |
9 |
8 |
5 |
|
Substantive IP Appeal - Asylum only |
5 |
5 |
7 |
8 |
11 |
11 |
12 |
9 |
12 |
10 |
9 |
6 |
12 |
6 |
|
Substantive IP Appeal - SP only |
3 |
3 |
7 |
6 |
11 |
11 |
14 |
12 |
20 |
20 |
5 |
3 |
40 |
40 |
|
Shortest Processing Time |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|||||||
|
Longest Processing Time |
30 |
44 |
41 |
37 |
43 |
53 |
65 |
|||||||
