Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 December 2025
756. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if minors applying for international protection found to have lied about their age to gain some perceived or actual advantage are immediately refused asylum and subsequently deported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72478/25]
View answer757. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of minors applying for international protection who lied about their age to gain some perceived or actual advantage who were refused asylum and subsequently deported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72479/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 756 and 757 together.
I am fully committed to ensuring that Ireland’s International Protection system is robust, and rules based, and that our borders are protected.
The State is required to examine the application of anyone who presents at the borders of the State, or is in the State, and indicates that they wish to make an application for international protection.
When an applicant presents as an unaccompanied minor, the International Protection Office (IPO) refers the individual to Tusla. It assesses the individual’s needs and eligibility for Tusla services and will also decide whether to make an application for international protection on their behalf.
In those cases where Tusla determine that the person is not eligible for services because they are judged to be an adult, the applicant is referred back to the IPO who will process their application and determine if the applicant has a well-founded fear of persecution or is at risk of serious harm in their country of origin, in accordance with the provisions of the International Protection Act.
Separate statistics are not available on the outcome of such cases.
Regarding information provided by applicants: a key focus in the training, supervision and quality assurance of our process is in assessing the credibility of an individual application, including information they have supplied concerning their identity.
Ireland has opted in to the EU Asylum and Migration Pact which is due to enter operation in June 2026. The Pact will provide a fair, sustainable and efficient asylum procedure. This will be achieved through convergence in asylum practices across the EU. The General Scheme of a new International Protection Bill to give effect to the measures of the Pact was approved by Government on 29 April 2025.
Legislative and operational arrangements for the assessment of age are to be revised under this legislation and as part of implementing the Pact. The Bill will propose that the determining authority – the replacement for the International Protection Office - will arrange and be responsible for the management of age assessments. The new legislation also will set out in far greater detail how age is to be assessed and provide for regulations governing the standards, qualifications of personnel and so on for the purposes of that process.
The Department works closely with Tusla in relation to all matters concerning minors, and is engaging with Tusla to design the new mechanism envisaged under the proposed legislation.
