Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:514. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice when a person (details supplied) will receive a reply to an application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54449/23]
View answerTuesday, 12 December 2023
Questions (514)
Written answers
As the Deputy may be aware, it is not my Department's practice to comment on whether an application for international protection has been made in the State. If a person is in the international protection process, there is a legal requirement under the International Protection Act 2015 to maintain full confidentiality at all times. Therefore the Department is unable to publish any information that would identify an international protection applicant.
If an application for international protection has been made in the State, the applicant or their designated legal advisor should contact the International Protection Office (IPO) or the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) directly, as appropriate. This will enable a full and comprehensive reply to be provided.
The International Protection Office may be contacted: by email to info@ipo.gov.ie; by telephone to the IPO Customer Service Centre at 01 6028000 or in writing to Customer Service Centre, International Protection Office, 79-83 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2.
The International Protection Appeals Tribunal may be contacted either: by email to info@protectionappeals.ie; by telephone at 01-4748400 (or Lo-Call 1890 201 458), or in writing to Corporate Services Division, The International Protection Appeals Tribunal, 6-7 Hanover Street East, Dublin D02 W320.
I can further advise the Deputy that since its introduction in June 2018, under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 230 of 2018), the labour market access permission issued by my Department, has had a very positive impact for international protection applicants and employers alike.
Since January 2021 nearly 22,000 first-time applications and renewal applications have been received by the Labour Market Access Unit of my Department and nearly 20,000 have been granted.
A significant increase in the number of applications has been experienced during 2023, reflecting the increase of overall applications for international protection received since 2022.
I can assure the Deputy that the immigration services of my Department utilise the resources available in order to ensure that applications are processed in the shortest timeframe possible and appreciate customers’ patience as they deal with the very high levels of applications received. My Department is also reviewing the processing arrangements generally to establish if they can be further streamlined.
Information and an overview of the application process for international protection applicants can be found on the IPO website here: www.ipo.gov.ie/en/IPO/Pages/Assessment_of_Application
Information on how to make an appeal to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal, as well as how to access legal advice can be found here:
www.protectionappeals.ie/how-to-appeal/
The Department's website also provides a detailed overview of the International Protection process in Ireland which can be accessed at:
www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/304ba-international-protection/
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases (excepting those relating to an international protection applicant) may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up-to-date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the parliamentary questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.