International Protection

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 March 2024

Wednesday, 20 March 2024

Ceisteanna (846, 847, 848, 849, 850, 851, 852, 853, 857)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

846. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice how many full-time decision makers were employed by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal in each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. [12180/24]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

847. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice how many external service providers, not employees of her Department and the International Protection Appeals Tribunal, have registered with the International Protection Appeals Tribunal in each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. [12181/24]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

848. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice how many external service providers, not employees of her Department and the International Protection Appeals Tribunal were asked to make decisions by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal in each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. [12182/24]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

849. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice how many external service providers trained by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal, not employees of her Department and the Tribunal received fewer than five appeals from the Tribunal for its consideration in each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. [12183/24]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

850. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice how many external service providers trained by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal not employees of her Department and the Tribunal received between five and ten appeals from IPAT for their consideration in each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. [12184/24]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

851. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice how many external service providers trained by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal not employees of her Department and the Tribunal received between 11 and 15 appeals from IPAT for their consideration in each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. [12185/24]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

852. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice how many external service providers trained by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal not employees of her Department and the Tribunal received between 15 and 25 appeals from IPAT for their consideration in each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. [12186/24]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

853. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice how many external service providers trained by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal not employees of her Department and the Tribunal received between 25 and or more appeals from IPAT for their consideration in each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. [12187/24]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

857. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice the person or body that the agreement is made with by external services providers for the provision of decision-making services in each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. [12191/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice

I propose to take Questions Nos. 846 to 853, inclusive, and 857 together.

The International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) is a statutorily independent body and exercises a quasi-judicial function under the International Protection Act 2015.

The Tribunal consists of a Chairperson, two Deputy Chairpersons, and ordinary members appointed on either a whole-time or part-time capacity.

Tribunal Members are appointed by the Minister for Justice following an open competition run by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) in accordance with section 62(4) of the International Protection Act 2015. Part-time Tribunal Members, who are not public servants, are engaged on a contract for service and are paid on a fee per item basis in respect of completed decisions. This has been the long-standing mechanism for engaging such expectation, since the establishment of IPAT and in its predecessor organisation.

Members of the Tribunal, appointed by the Minister for Justice for a term of 5 years, consider appeals and make decisions in respect of the various matters that come before the Tribunal. They are the only persons engaged to make decisions on matters that fall within the jurisdiction of the Tribunal. All Tribunal Members are either barristers or solicitors with a minimum of five years’ professional experience.

All Tribunal Members receive extensive induction training when they are first appointed and engage in regular ongoing training.

Administrative staff of the Tribunal are civil servants and currently assigned to the Tribunal from the Department of Justice in accordance with s.61(4) of the International Protection Act 2015.

The table below shows the number of ordinary whole-time Tribunal Members appointed to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal who were engaged on contracts of service in each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. Please note these figures exclude the Chairperson and two Deputy Chairpersons.

-	2021	2022	2023
Whole Time Members	3	3	3

The table below shows how many Tribunal Members were appointed to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal and engaged on contracts for services in each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. Numbers fluctuate throughout each year however, as Members resigned or Members’ terms expire. At the end of 2023 the Tribunal had 57 part-time Members. A Public Appointments Service recruitment competition is currently underway to significantly increase the number of part-time Members.

-	2021	2022	2023
Part Time Members	51	44	66

The table below shows the number of appeals assigned to both Whole and Part time Tribunal Members in each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023.

-	2021	2022	2023
0-4 Appeals	14	12	24
5-10 Appeals	12	7	7
11-15 Appeals	3	3	3
16-25 Appeals	11	5	8
26 Appeals or more	14	20	27

Question No. 847 answered with Question No. 846.

Question No. 848 answered with Question No. 846.

Question No. 849 answered with Question No. 846.

Question No. 850 answered with Question No. 846.

Question No. 851 answered with Question No. 846.

Question No. 852 answered with Question No. 846.