Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 7 Mar 2000

Vol. 515 No. 6

Written Answers. - Asylum Applications.

Ivor Callely

Question:

250 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 329 of 23 November 1999, the way in which 1,474 cases of application for asylum were deemed abandoned in 1999; the percentage of asylum applications granted refugee status at first stage in 1999; the percentage refused refugee status at first stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6706/00]

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

The information provided in response to Parliamentary Question No. 329 indicated that 1,541 applications were abandoned in respect of applications lodged in the period 1996 to 1999. These applications were deemed abandoned as a result of ongoing co-operation between my Department, the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs and the health boards. This liaison between our Departments will address this issue to minimise the risk of abuse of the welfare system without being unfair to any genuine applicant. Paragraph 20 of the procedures for processing asylum claims in Ireland, which have been notified to the UNHCR, states:

where an applicant fails to attend at an interview or is otherwise uncontactable without good and sufficient reason his or her case will be considered to be abandoned. A notice to this effect will be sent to the applicant at his or her last known address by registered post. If the applicant subsequently comes to the attention of the authorities he or she will be considered to be an illegal immigrant and will be dealt with in accordance with immigration (non-asylum) rules.

The circumstances in which the applications in question were deemed abandoned were as follows:

1. Where applicants for refugee status failed to attend for a scheduled interview following the issue of a letter by registered post. In the event of failure to attend for interview inquiries are made with the Eastern Regional Health Authority to ensure that the notification of interview dates issued to the address at which the applicant is currently in payment or the last known address. A letter then issues to the relevant address informing applicants that consideration is being given to deeming their application abandoned and informing them that if within 14 days of the date of this letter they do not inform the Department in writing of the reasons why their application should not be deemed abandoned then their application will be abandoned. If there is no reply a registered letter is sent to them informing them that their application has been deemed abandoned. In the event that the Eastern Regional Health Authority has a more recent address than that supplied by the applicant to this Department a second interview letter is arranged prior to any action being taken in relation to abandonment.

2. Where applicants were handed the notification of their interview date at the counter in the Refugee Applications Centre or in a dispersed location. This letter contains a paragraph which specifically states that failure to respond to the letter within 14 days or failure to attend at interview without good and sufficient cause will result in consideration being given to deeming the application abandoned. If applicants fail to attend for interview without giving a good reason a registered letter deeming their application abandoned is issued.

3. Where applicants failed to renew their asylum seeker card. A notice of intention to abandon is sent by registered post to their last known address. If there is no reply to this notice within 14 days a registered letter is issued informing the applicant that the application has been deemed abandoned.

The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the tabular statement as follows:

Number of decisions made at first stage in 1999

Decisions made	refused (%)	granted (%)
3,275	3,115(95%)	160(5%)

These are in addition to the 1,541 applications deemed abandoned in circumstances outlined above.