Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 May 2018
279. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of direct provision residents over 18 years of age who have been in the asylum process for nine months or more and have not yet received a first instance decision. [23263/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are 1,317 Direct Provision residents over 18 years of age that have been in the protection process for nine months or more and have not yet received a first instance decision.
As of 17 May 2018, over half of cases in the International Protection Office awaiting a first instance decision and where the applicant is accommodated under the system of Direct Provision, are less than one year in the system, while 95% are two years or less and 99.5% are three years or less. This is a major improvement from the situation when the McMahon Working Group reported on the matter in June 2015.
On 31 December 2016, the International Protection Act 2015 was commenced, providing for a single application procedure. The 2015 Act replaces the previous sequential application system with a single application process, for asylum, subsidiary protection and permission to remain in the State, bringing Ireland into line with the processing arrangements applicable in other EU Member States. However, the Act also contained transitional arrangements which has put further pressures on processing. The main challenge now faced is the need to quickly process the substantial number of cases on hand many of which were carried over from the previous system.
