Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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223. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if, given that the last review of South Africa's designation as a safe country of origin occurred in 2021 in addition to the fact that she is obligated under section 72(5) of the International Protection Act 2015 to review the designation of safe countries on a regular basis, ideally every 12 months, and this lack of a timely review raises significant concerns about compliance with legal requirements, if she will review South Africa's designation urgently (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40744/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that in making the assessment to designate a country as safe, it is considered, among other things, the extent to which protection is provided against persecution or mistreatment by:

• The relevant laws and regulations of the country and the manner in which they are applied. • The observance of the rights and freedoms laid down in specified European and International Conventions. • Respect for the principle of non-refoulement in accordance with the Geneva Convention. • Provision for a system of effective remedies against violation of those rights and freedoms. The assessment is based on a range of sources of information, including from other EU Member States, the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Council of Europe and other international organisations as? appropriate.

I would also like to advise the Deputy that I keep the list of safe countries under review.

More generally, if an applicant for international protection is from a country designated as a safe country of origin, their application will still receive a full consideration on its merits by the International Protection Office.