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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 17 Apr 2002

Vol. 552 No. 1

Written Answers. - Asylum Applications.

Alan Shatter

Question:

587 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of applications for political asylum awaiting decision both at first instance and on appeal; the projected time frame for determining such applications; and the number of persons awaiting decisions on applications made for permission to continue to reside in the State for humanitarian reasons. [12069/02]

I have been informed by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC) that there are some 6,700 applicants for refugee status awaiting a final recommendation in that Office. This figure refers to all applications received up to the end of March 2002. Of this figure, some 2,530 applications or 38% are in respect of applicants who applied in 2002. The vast majority of the remainder have been scheduled for interview in the next few weeks or have completed the interview process and are awaiting decision.

The Refugee Appeals Tribunal (RAT) has informed me that the estimated number of appeals on hand is 2,432. This figure refers to all appeals received up to 31 March 2002. Seventy-one per cent of these appeals, 1,739, are at an advanced stage of review and processing. The majority of the balance were received in the first three months of 2002.

At 31 March 2002, only some 2,350 applications were on hand for more than six months in the ORAC and in the region of 582 in the RAT, with the majority of these being in the final stages of processing. This represents considerable progress since the last occasion on which I replied to similar parliamentary questions and, in this regard, I would refer the Deputy to my replies to Questions Nos. 27, 31, 133 and 154 of 21 February 2002.

It is evident the increased processing capacity which has been put in place in both the ORAC and the RAT as part of the Government's asylum strategy is making a real impact on the backlog of cases. It is also helping to progressively reduce processing times and is seeing significant progress towards the Government's six months processing target. In particular, I would point out that: since July 2001, the number of cases scheduled, processed and completed have significantly exceeded intake; in the ORAC, the number of interviews scheduled for 2001 was more than double the figure for 2000. More than 3,500 interviews were scheduled in the first three months of 2002; the RAT scheduled 170% more hearings in 2001 as compared with 2000. 1,219 hearings were scheduled in the first three months of 2002; the total number of cases processed by the ORAC in 2001 and 2002 to 31 March 2002 was 12,142 and 4,152 respectively; the total number of appeals completed by the RAT in 2001 and 2002 to 31 March 2002 was 3,472 and 1,452 respectively; interviews are at present being scheduled by the ORAC for applicants who arrived in November-December 2001.
The ORAC is now focusing primarily on the clearance of 2001 applications and May will see the clearance of practically all of these cases. It is expected that by June 2002, the ORAC will be focusing fully on 2002 cases.
The other statistics requested by the Deputy are as follows: (i) number of applications on hands at end March 2002 in respect of persons who have applied for permission to remain on the basis that they are parents of an Irish born child and who are current or former asylum applicants: 6,740; (ii) number of applications on hands at end March 2002 in respect of persons who have applied for permission to remain on the basis of marriage to an Irish/EU national and who are current or former asylum seekers: 233; (iii) applications outstanding for leave to remain under section 3 of the Immigration Act, 1999: 1,985.
Some of the applicants at (iii) could also have applications pending under (i) or (ii).
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