Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 March 2024
798. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide details in relation to the International Protection Office for each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form (details supplied). [11582/24]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that my Department is taking all necessary steps to manage the international protection process efficiently and effectively, while ensuring the integrity of the processes is maintained at all times.
Last July, I published a report on the international protection modernisation programme for 2023 and 2024. This programme involved unparalleled investment in staff, panel members, re-engineered processes, and technology. We have implemented measures to improve efficiencies and throughput as well as enhancing the application, interview and decision-making process for applicants.
One of the priority areas of focus has been to recruit additional staff and panel members to increase case processing. The International Protection Office now has over 400 staff, an increase of 95% over 2022. The IPO made 2,482 first instance determinations in 2021, 4,323 in 2022, 9,000 in 2023 and are confident of delivering over 14,000 decisions this year.
Reforms to the international protection process will continue in 2024. An additional €34m was allocated in Budget 2024 to the International Protection Office (IPO), the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) and related areas to continue to scale up processing. These measures, and all other aspects of the international protection modernisation programme, will continue to be kept under review and improved on a continuous ongoing basis.
The responsibility of the International Protection Office is to examine and process applications for international protection. The amount the IPO spent on assessing and processing applications therefore reflects its total budget.
Total Estimate of IPO Expenditure 2021 - 2023 (Pay and Non-Pay)
|
- |
€000's |
|
2021 |
8,204 |
|
2022 |
11,864 |
|
2023 |
23,122 |
To note, in 2020, the Department of Justice implemented a transformation programme moving from a subject-based structure to a functional operating model. As a result, costs from 2020 onwards are not directly comparable with the costs incurred before this programme as a number of expenditure areas were restructured as core Departmental functions.
Included in the total estimate of IPO Expenditure are the total costs associated with Panel Members, who are external service providers that assist in a number of functions, principally in the interviewing of applicants at their personal interviews under Section 35 and the drafting of reports. The tables includes all costs associated with Panel Members and therefore includes any other work undertaken in those years, as it is not possible to only report payments made in relation to personal interviews.
IPO Panel Member Expenditure - 2021 - 2023 (Extracted from the total costs above)
|
- |
||||
|
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
||
|
€'000s |
€'000s |
€'000s |
Total |
|
|
Panel Member Costs |
760 |
1,586 |
2,533 |
4,879 |
Within the IPO, the main use of simultaneous interpretation is when applicants are making their initial application and at their personal interview under Section 35. It is not possible for the IPO to report only on costs related to personal interviews under Section 35, so the figures included here cover all interpretation costs at the IPO for the years in question.
The IPO uses a number of service providers for interpretation services and alongside that the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) provides the IPO with a number of cultural mediators, who can assist with personal interviews (as well as work at the application stage). In order to provide a full picture, the full costs for both are provided. All costs are included in the total estimate of IPO Expenditure and are not in addition to it.
IPO Interpretation Expenditure - 2021- 2023 (Extracted from the total costs above)
|
- |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
|
€'000s |
€'000s |
€'000s |
Total |
|
|
Interpretation Costs |
125 |
515 |
1,252 |
1,892 |
IPO IOM Cultural Mediation and Interpretation Costs - 2021- 2023 (Extracted from the total costs above)*
|
- |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
|
€'000s |
€'000s |
€'000s |
Total |
|
|
IOM Cultural Mediation and Interpretation Cost |
- |
466 |
- |
466 |
*Please note that the IOM grant agreement began in November 2022 and covers the years 2022 – 2024. The 2022 figure represents a first instalment payment of 60% of the total grant amount of €777,157 with the balance to be paid in 2024 on the meeting of all of the grant conditions by the Grantee including the provision of financial and progress reports. Therefore no further payments were made in 2023 under the grant as it was covered by the initial payment.
