Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 Jun 2000

Vol. 522 No. 4

Written Answers. - Asylum Applications.

John McGuinness

Question:

219 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps being taken to reduce the length of time taken to process applications from asylum seekers; the number which have been granted the right to work to date; if, in the interim, he will have considerations made into a system of issuing licences to local employers to give employment on a part-time basis to those asylum seekers wishing to work; if the Church authorities have been contacted to assist in the process in partnership with the State and to discuss the temporary use of some of its property; if the direct provision policy can be set aside in areas or accommodation where the opposite measures are proving more successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18812/00]

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

A high priority is being given to the reduction in processing times for asylum applications including the allocation of additional staff to this area and the streamlining of procedures and processes.

In 1996, there were four staff working in the asylum division of the Department. By 1997 this number had risen to 22 staff. During 1997 the Government approved a proposal for the recruitment of an additional 72 staff to help deal with the backlog of asylum cases and the ongoing intake of new asylum seekers. In July 1998 Government approval was obtained to recruit an additional 72 staff for the asylum, immigration and citizenship areas. A further 120 staff were sanctioned for the asylum, immigration and citizenship work and for the directorate for asylum seeker support services in December 1999. This represented the largest allocation of staff resources in any area of the Civil Service since the Government came into office and underlines the priority which the Government attaches to the issue of more expeditious asylum processing and procedures.

There are currently 175 sanctioned posts involved directly in processing asylum applications. As I announced on 8 May 2000, when the Government approved a number of further initiatives on asylum, refugee and immigration matters, I will be making detailed proposals to the Government shortly on the further acceleration of asylum processing including staffing aspects.

In relation to the processing of applications, I would inform the Deputy that between May 1998, the starting point from which the Department has began to fully address the backlog of applications and 31 May 2000, a total of 9630 interviews were scheduled of which 6,252 were completed. All applicants who lodged a claim up to the end of June 1999 have at this time been afforded the opportunity of a substantive interview with some minor exceptions and with the exception of those cases in respect of which issues are outstanding under the Dublin convention. Substantive decisions are notified to applicants within three months of interview. Manifestly unfounded decisions are notified within three weeks of interview.

The aim of my Department is to minimise the time taken from the date of application to completion of the procedure in a refugee determination process which meets the highest EU and international standards and enables applications to be processed within six months.

My Department has also put in place more streamlined arrangements to facilitate the use of accelerated procedures so as to deal more speedily with cases which are manifestly well-founded and manifestly unfounded. Workshops have been held with the relevant staff and instructions have issued concerning the use of such procedures. Manifestly well-founded cases are being identified at an early stage to ensure that a person who is likely to succeed in the asylum process gets the benefit of refugee status as soon as possible without being unnecessarily delayed. Manifestly unfounded procedures will help to eliminate, at an early stage, applications which appear to have little or no relevance to the definition of a refugee in section 2 of the Refugee Act, 1996, as amended.

Some 75% of scheduled interviews are now with new applicants within one month of arrival, in particular, those from the highest source countries, and the remainder of interviews are scheduled for applicants who constitute the backlog. Our previous concentration on eliminating a backlog of a substantial number of applicants outstanding for a three year period from a much lower base means that all applicants being scheduled from the backlog arrived in the State within the last 12 months. This concentration of resources primarily on new applicants with maximum use of accelerated procedures is necessary to deter abuse of the system and will facilitate speedy processing of new applicants and will minimise the extent to which manifestly well founded cases go into a backlog, thereby maintaining the intergity of our asylum process. Every effort is also being made to expedite the processing of appeals and so far this year, I have appointed an additional eight appeals authorities bringing the total number of such authorities to 14. These authorities hear appeals from applicants for refugee status whose applications have been refused at first instance.

In relation to the right to work of asylum seekers, the Government, as an exceptional measure, agreed on 26 July 1999 that those asylum applicants who had been in the State for more than 12 months, and who were still awaiting a final determination of their applications for refugee status, should be given the right to work. The rules also apply to those who sought asylum here up to 26 July 1999 as soon as they cross the twelve month threshold. In December 1999 the Government also dispensed with the requirement for work permits for asylum seekers eligible under the previous decision of 26 July. The Government also decided that each eligible asylum seeker should be issued with a letter which sets out their position in relation to eligibility for employment for presentation to a potential employer and the Department has arranged accordingly. To date, some 2000 letters advising asylum seekers of their right to work have issued.

It is not proposed to broaden the current arrangements for the right to work in respect of asylum applicants

In relation to those aspects of the Deputy's question dealing with dispersal and direct provision, the position is that the Office of Public Works has approached the main religious bodies in Ireland to advise them of the situation concerning accommodation requirements for asylum see kers. Several undertakings were received to keep the matter under review.

Regarding direct provision, it is not clear what the Deputy means by opposite measures which are proving more successful. The policy of direct provision is a national one in place since 10 April 2000 in respect of all newly arrived asylum seekers. The Government has no plans to set aside current policy in this regard.