In November 2022, the International Protection Office (IPO) introduced a number of efficiency measures along with reforms to the application, interview and decision making process, resulting in a significant impact on processing times.
In 2022, almost 5,000 first-instance decisions were made – a higher number than any annual number of applications over the past five years and exceeding the target of 3,500.
Fewer than 8% of protection applicants are waiting for a first-instance decision for more than one year.
Most applicants from safe countries of origin receive a first-instance decision in less than three months, which is a significant reduction from 17 to 24 months in 2022.
Median processing times for applications overall were significantly reduced in 2022, down to 10 months in Q4 from a norm of 22-26 months earlier in the year.
The Government has committed additional funding of nearly €18m for the IPO in Budget 2023. This will go towards the appointment of additional staff and other resources to all of the bodies involved in processing applications.