Michael McNamara
Question:394. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Justice how many Notices of Appeal to the IPAT were lodged in each month since February 2020. [53494/23]
View answerTuesday, 5 December 2023
Questions (394, 395)
Michael McNamara
Question:395. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Justice how many decisions of the IPAT were made in each month since February 2020. [53495/23]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 394 and 395 together.
My Department is taking all necessary steps to manage the international protection process fairly, efficiently and effectively, as part of the broader Government response, while ensuring the integrity of Ireland's rules-based immigration system is maintained.
Both the International Protection Office (IPO) and the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) are fully independent in determining whether or not to grant international protection applications. Each application is examined individually on its own merits, in line with national and international asylum law.
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 International Protection Appeals Tribunal's (IPAT) operational capacity is also currently being significantly expanded to meet their increased caseload. Additional resources are being deployed through increasing the number of Tribunal members as well as further recruitment of administrative staff.
The average processing times from appeal lodged in the International Protection Appeals Tribunal to decision issued at the end of October 2023 was 7.2 months down from 13.5 months at the end of November 2022.
The tables attached detail appeals accepted and processed at the IPAT every month since February 2020 to 24 November 2023.
Please note, there is no correlation between applications received in a particular year/month and first instance decisions issued in the corresponding time period.
|
Appeals Accepted by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal |
|
|
|
|
|
Year Accepted |
|
|
|
|
|
Month Appeal Accepted |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
Jan |
192 |
54 |
25 |
108 |
|
Feb |
186 |
76 |
64 |
259 |
|
Mar |
148 |
103 |
79 |
407 |
|
Apr |
9 |
62 |
41 |
316 |
|
May |
4 |
66 |
87 |
341 |
|
Jun |
7 |
68 |
110 |
340 |
|
Jul |
68 |
59 |
139 |
429 |
|
Aug |
169 |
39 |
175 |
587 |
|
Sep |
203 |
43 |
147 |
496 |
|
Oct |
139 |
74 |
128 |
448 |
|
Nov |
79 |
63 |
101 |
316 |
|
Dec |
51 |
49 |
79 |
|
|
Grand Total |
1255 |
756 |
1175 |
4047 |
|
Decisions Issued by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal |
|
|
|
|
|
Year Decision Issued |
|
|
|
|
|
Month Decision Issued |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
Jan |
166 |
44 |
77 |
125 |
|
Feb |
175 |
37 |
116 |
143 |
|
Mar |
103 |
100 |
127 |
158 |
|
Apr |
0 |
39 |
118 |
120 |
|
May |
24 |
61 |
109 |
120 |
|
Jun |
163 |
91 |
101 |
97 |
|
Jul |
158 |
83 |
146 |
140 |
|
Aug |
42 |
92 |
57 |
115 |
|
Sep |
54 |
100 |
83 |
135 |
|
Oct |
68 |
120 |
118 |
126 |
|
Nov |
79 |
154 |
150 |
146 |
|
Dec |
51 |
131 |
98 |
|
|
Grand Total |
1083 |
1052 |
1300 |
1425 |
Question No. 395 answered with Question No. 394.