The Chairperson of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal, Ms Hilkka Becker, has presented the Tribunal’s Annual Report to the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, and the report has been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
In her foreword to the Annual Report, Ms Becker stated: “I am pleased to present the 2021 Annual Report of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal to the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, and would like to express my sincere thanks to the Minister and her Department for their partnership and support throughout the year.
2021 continued to bring many challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and it fills me with great pride to be able to report on the work of the Tribunal as an essential service, which continued throughout the year, providing an effective remedy for applicants seeking to appeal decisions related to their applications for international protection. Everyone in the Tribunal played their part in the delivery of our mission in challenging circumstances: the admin team led by the Tribunal Registrar, Pat Murray, the rest of the Tribunal senior management team, Deputy Chairpersons Cindy Carroll and John Stanley and Assistant Principal Barry Crossan, and of course the Tribunal Members, all of whom I am most grateful to for their commitment and dedication.
Having concluded the year 2020 with 1,655 appeals on hand, the many innovations developed in-house and introduced by the Tribunal team such as the use of audio video technology for Tribunal hearings and electronic signatures for Tribunal decisions enabled us to complete a total 1,228 appeals, reducing the caseload at the end of the year 2021 by nearly 30%.
As expressed in the Tribunal’s Strategy Statement for 2021 – 2023, which was developed following a consultation process, including the first external consultation in the Tribunal’s history, we strive to deliver excellence and be a model appellate decision-making authority.
In that regard, I look forward to continuing to lead the Tribunal throughout its ongoing modernisation, and working closely with the Department of Justice and our stakeholders in further developing and enhancing the quality of the Tribunal’s service delivery and playing a part in realising the Digital First agenda.
The designation of the Tribunal as a body enabled to conduct remote hearings, allowing participation by means of electronic communications technology, has already enabled the Tribunal to conduct 676 audio video hearings in the course of the year. Embracing this change going forward, we are now set to have an ongoing parallel stream of remote and onsite hearings, which will support our efforts to return to pre-pandemic processing times, which were set to reach those recommended by the Advisory Group on the Provision of Support, including Accommodation to Persons in the International Protection Process in 2020.
You can view the 2021 Annual Report here.