Asylum claims need to be processed far quicker by the International Protection Office, Senator Michael McDowell has said. 

Last year 13,319 people sought international protection here and, in addition, almost 70,000 Ukrainian refugees fled here. 

About 20% of all those seeking asylum in 2022 were from Georgia - which authorities consider a safe country of origin.

The former Tánaiste and Justice Minister says the only solution is speeding up the bureaucracy. 

“The Irish system is far too slow in processing applications for asylum,” he lamented to Newstalk. 

“I mean the idea that people from Georgia are applying for asylum in Ireland and not having their applications processed very quickly - especially when there’s very little basis for the vast majority of such applications - is very disappointing.”