Vol. 432 No. 1
133 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice if she will give details of the new procedures being put in place to deal with appeals by asylum seekers seeking refugee status in Ireland; the exact format of such appeals; whether persons seeking asylum will be entitled to legal representation for the hearing of such appeals; the date when such appeals will first commence to be heard; the name of the judge appointed to hear such appeals; and when the judge was appointed.
Policy and procedures in this area are being examined by an interdepartmental committee of senior officials in consultation with appropriate organisations, including the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. Pending the receipt and implementation of the recommendations of that committee, it is my intention as an interim measure to appoint a suitable person to act as a competent authority to hear appeals in cases where applications for recognition as a refugee in accordance with the 1951 United Nations Convention and the 1967 Protocol on the Status of Refugees have been unsuccessful. I expect to be in a position shortly to announce the name of the appointee. Applicants who have been unsuccessful will be informed of the right of appeal which, if it is so desired on the part of an applicant, may be processed by a legal representative.
