Vol. 488 No. 7
376 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform whether the administrative procedures to process applicants for asylum announced on 10 December 1997 have been implemented; whether he has appointed persons to interview applicants for asylum under these procedures; whether an appeals board has been appointed under the terms of these procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7406/98]
377 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the circumstances under which an application for asylum is ruled as manifestly unfound; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7407/98]
The procedures set out in the letter of 10 December 1997 were effective from that date. There has been some delay in giving full effect to the procedures due to staff shortages. However, with the resolution of industrial relations difficulties, additional staff have been appointed to the asylum division of my Department and following training by the UNHCR these staff are operating in accordance with the procedures in question. Interviews for further staff — the temporary contractors — have commenced this week and persons appointed will, following appropriate training, operate in accordance with the administrative procedures.
Mr. Justice Peter O'Malley is already operating as an appeals authority. Additional persons will be appointed as such authorities as the need arises.
The circumstances under which an application is ruled as manifestly unfounded are set out at point 14 of the letter of 10 December, a copy of which was forwarded to Deputies and also placed in the Dáil Library.
As I stated in my contribution to the debate on the Asylum Seekers (Regularisation of Status) (No. 2) Bill, 1998, representatives of NGOs met with my officials in February and asked for an independent person, rather than a departmental official, to be appointed to deal with appeals against decisions that a case was manifestly unfounded. They also asked that I look at the time period in which an appeal might be lodged against such a determination. I decided to accede to their requests in order to ensure transparency and a letter to this effect issued to the UNHCR on 13 March. I am arranging for a copy of the letter to be placed in the Dáil Library.
