Vol. 519 No. 2
283 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if refugee or asylum status will be granted in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13315/00]
It is not the general practice to comment publicly on individual applications for refugee status having regard to the fact that applications by their nature are made in confidence with the expectation by the applicant that such confidence will be preserved.
However, the position in this instance is that the applicant was interviewed on 10 May 1999 and it was decided that he does not qualify as a refugee in accordance with the definition contained in the 1951 convention relating to the status of refugees as amended by the 1967 protocol and as defined in section 2 of the Refugee Act, 1996. A refugee is defined as a person who, owing to a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his or her nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his or her former habitual residence, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.
The applicant appealed this decision on 16 December 1999 and his appeal was heard on 9 May 2000 by an independent appeal authority. At this time my Department is awaiting a recommendation from the appeal authority.
