1362. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of asylum applications made at the immigration office in Dublin city centre compared with those at the airports and seaports in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42541/26]

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. This is in accordance with our obligations under international and EU asylum law and the Government takes those commitments very seriously.

There are a number of circumstances where a person might apply at the International Protection Office (IPO) without first applying at a port of entry. They may enter at an airport with valid documentation for example but choose not to apply at that time. Or they may apply having been in the State for a period previously, for example on foot of a different permission to remain.

My Department’s assessment, based on the experience of staff and others working in the field, and based on the material gathered at interviews, is that in a significant proportion of cases, those applying for the first time in the IPO have entered over the land border.

The below table provides a breakdown of IP applications and the location the claim was made over the last five years.

*To 29 May 2026

Please note figures are correct at time of issue and may be subject to data cleansing.