Justice Minister Helen McEntee revealed this week that the list of secure countries has increased with the addition of five nations. Egypt, Morocco, India, Brazil, and Malawi have been declared safe, affecting anyone from those locations who wishes to seek asylum in Ireland. The list, which has evolved and expanded over the years, previously held ten countries. This leads to questions about why these states were included and why at this time? How is ‘safe’ defined within the framework of the International Protection process? A ‘historic’ pension bill succeeded with only the presence of the Minister for Social Protection and the Speaker in the Dáil chamber. Sorcha Pollak investigates the implications for newcomers to Ireland and for the country’s refuge application assessment procedures. Bernice Harrison presents while Declan Conlon produces.