Vol. 496 No. 6
390 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties created for asylum seekers who have to travel to Dublin to have identity cards renewed, particularly as health boards will not pay travel costs; if he will provide alternative arrangements for the renewal of identity cards in locations where a substantial number of applicants are located; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23834/98]
Access to applicant records, which are maintained in my Department, is essential to the effective issue of the asylum seekers cards. The current issue of cards allows my Department the opportunity to update the biographical information on file for all asylum seekers.
The Deputy may wish to know that since my Department commenced the issue of the new AS cards on 19 November a significant number of asylum seekers from locations outside Dublin have called to the Refugee Applications Centre who have not indicated that they had any difficulty in doing so. In fact in a number of these cases applicants took the opportunity to discuss their individual applications with my staff.
I have always made it clear that all matters relating to individual applications for asylum would be dealt with in the Refugee Applications Centre. Although the centre is not yet formally opened, my Asylum Division has operated there since 12 October 1998. I have no plans to provide alternative arangements for the issue of the AS cards at this time but I am reviewing the current project on a regular basis.
The question of payment of travel costs is not a matter for my Department.
