International Protection Bill 2026: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-25
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Jim O'Callaghan (FF), Dublin Bay South

I thank Deputies Gannon and Kelly for putting down this amendment. It is important to put it in context. What we are discussing here is chapter 2 of the provision that entitles me as Minister to designate a certain centre as a screening centre. That is provided for in section 21 of the legislation.
The next section we are dealing with, which is under discussion here, is the obligation to travel to a screening centre. There are provisions set out in this section 22 that place an obligation on a person applying for international protection to travel to a screening centre. Subsection (6), however, sets out a number of individuals whom I exempt from travelling there. Where he or she considers it appropriate, the Minister may exempt an applicant to whom one of the following paragraphs applies. The six paragraphs I have set out there all concern individuals who verifiably come within the categorisation set out in the paragraphs. For instance, it applies to an applicant serving a term of imprisonment, an applicant detained in a children detention school or an applicant in respect of whom a warrant has been issued under the Extradition Act or who is subject to committal under section 29 of that Act or who has consented to surrender or subject to surrender under that Act. It also applies to an applicant in respect of whom a European arrest warrant has been issued or an applicant considered by a registered medical practitioner to be incapable for medical reasons of travelling to a screening centre.
Deputies Gannon and Kelly want me to put in a seventh exemption, which would be an applicant who is a presumed or identified victim of trafficking. That is not a specific categorisation of person. Who is going to presume whether or not a person is a victim of trafficking? If it is the case, and I would be interested in hearing what Deputies say in respect of this, that an international protection applicant arrives in and says he or she is a victim of trafficking, does that mean that I, therefore, have to exempt that person from travelling to the screening centre? If that is the case, I am sure Deputies will recognise the fact that the obligation set out under the provisions of sections 21 and 22 could easily be circumvented if all an individual had to say was that he or she was a victim of trafficking.
The other term used here is an applicant who is a presumed or identified victim of trafficking. Again, I ask Deputies Gannon and Kelly to tell me who will do that identification. How is this going to work in practical terms whether it is at the centre where somebody is applying or at one of our ports? How will it be presumed or determined that a person is a victim of trafficking?
I propose to discuss amendment No. 22 along with amendments Nos. 28, 53, 57, 177 and 179. The Government is firmly committed to protecting and supporting victims of human trafficking, recognising them as a particularly vulnerable cohort. Screening is an important mechanism for recognising potential victims of trafficking, routing them for further assessment and ensuring they can access the supports they need. I also want to clarify that a statement by an individual that he or she has been trafficked does not in itself confer presumed or identified status. A formal assessment is required and must be undertaken by the designated competent authority responsible for formal identification under the existing national referral mechanism, NRM, namely, An Garda Síochána. Careful consideration is needed to ensure operational and legislative alignment of the NRM with the new asylum and migration procedures introduced by this Bill. My officials will continue to examine the matters raised in these amendments with a view to establishing what, if any, ministerial amendments will be necessary.
One point deserves further emphasis. Many times individuals may not be aware that they are the victims of trafficking or that they are being trafficked and the screening process is an important mechanism for recognising potential victims of trafficking. I understand the basis on which Deputies Gannon and Kelly put forward this amendment but it is not specific in terms of how is it going to be presumed or who is going to identify the person as a victim of trafficking. I would appreciate if the Deputies would tell me how that would be done. It is also important to point out that there is a benefit in the screening process for the purpose of seeking to identify somebody who is a victim of human trafficking.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-25/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:41+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-25