Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 20 Nov 2001

Vol. 544 No. 3

Written Answers. - Refugee Status.

Richard Bruton

Question:

433 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of people applying for refugee status in each of the past four years and in 2001 to date; and if he will provide similar information in respect of applications for residency rights based on other grounds. [28967/01]

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

The number of applications for refugee status received in the last four years and in 2001 to date is set out in the following tabular statement:

Year	Total number of applications
1997	3,883
1998	4,626
1999	7,724
2000	10,938
2001 (as of 31 October)	8,461

In relation to the number of applications for residency rights, records are not maintained in such a way as to enable these figures to be extracted without the diversion of a disproportionate amount of staff resources. However, all non-EEA nationals require the permission of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in order to remain in the State and applications to do so are received on a wide variety of grounds. The total number of non-EEA nationals with permission to remain registered with the Garda authorities – other than those permitted to remain solely in order to pursue an asylum claim – was approximately 47,000 in 2000, 29,000 in 1999, 22,000 in 1998 and 18,000 in 1997. I also refer the Deputy to Parliamentary Question No. 661 of 6 November 2001, the answer to which provided details of applications received for residency on the basis of parentage of an Irish citizen child. The figures quoted in that reply are not reflected in the above statistics.