Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 2 Dec 1997

Vol. 483 No. 6

Written Answers. - Departmental Training.

Frances Fitzgerald

Question:

87 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount of training those who are working on asylum claims had in the past year; the body which is responsible for this training of officials; and when will it be completed. [20957/97]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

My Department has full responsibility for the training of officials who deal with asylum matters. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has given a commitment to continue to provide training in asylum law and practice geared to the needs of the staff and other officials involved in the asylum process.

Training courses, run in conjunction with the UNHCR, have been held in recent years for both officials of my Department's asylum division and for immigration officers. The last such course run by the UNHCR training officer was held in April 1997. An internal course for new staff to the asylum division of my Department was held in September, 1997 and the new UNHCR official appointed to this country has been providing additional training modules for staff members over the past few weeks. As recently as 20 and 24 November, 1997 officials of the asylum division met with the UNHCR representative and her officials to finalise details of a comprehensive training programme for existing staff and for new staff who will be assigned to the asylum division shortly. This training progrmame will commence in January 1988.

In addition, a number of other specialised courses have been organised by my Department throughout the month of December.