Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 October 2022
192. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice if Ireland will opt-in to Regulation (EU) 2021/2303 on the European Union Agency for Asylum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52237/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that, on the 18 October 2022, Cabinet approved the proposal to opt-in to the measure referred to. This will now be followed by motions for approval in both Houses.
The EU Regulation establishing a European Union Agency for Asylum ((EU) 2021/2303) was adopted on 15 December 2021 and came into effect from 19 January 2022. The Regulation repeals and replaces an earlier Regulation (EU) 439/2010) establishing a European Asylum Support Office (EASO) which the State participated in.
The main purpose of the Regulation is to:
- build on the mandate of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) and to turn it into a fully-fledged agency;
- improve the implementation of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) by strengthening practical co-operation and information exchange among Member States;
- promote the convergence of asylum practice among Member States.
The enhanced mandate of the EUAA includes increased operational and technical support to Member States. To assist with this, an asylum reserve pool of 500 persons made up of experts from Member States is established under this Regulation. Ireland will be required to pledge experts to this pool if we opt-in to the Regulation.
In this regard, it is expected that Ireland’s pledge to the pool could be in the region of 5-10 experts. The principal purpose of the Regulation is to strengthen practical cooperation among the Member States on asylum and to help improve the implementation of the CEAS. The national authorities retain exclusive decision-making powers in relation to the examination of applications for protection in their territories.
Ireland opted-in to the Regulation establishing the European Asylum Support Office, which this Agency replaces. Opting in to the Regulation will ensure that we can continue to have access to training provided by the Agency as well as the many reports and analysis documents compiled by the Agency.
Furthermore, we will continue to be able to avail of the ad-hoc query facility, which enables Member States to collect information, in a relatively short timeframe, on asylum practices and procedures in other Member States.
