Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Nov 2003

Vol. 573 No. 3

Written Answers. - Asylum Applications.

Joe Costello

Question:

587 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of applications for asylum received by his Department in each month from January 2002 to October 2003; the total number of applications for asylum which have yet to be processed; the average length in time of the applications process at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25283/03]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell)

The total number of asylum applications received in each month from January 2002 to October 2003 is outlined in Table 1 and Table 2:

Table 1

Monthly applications for refugee status in 2002

January	838
February	763
March	932
April	888
May	795
June	869
July	1,133
August	995
September	1,199
October	1,148
November	984
December	1,090
Total	11,634

Table 2

Monthly applications for refugee status in 2003

January	979
February	947
March	892
April	667
May	604
June	661
July	646
August	655
September	611
October	496
Total	7,158

The total number of applications awaiting processing or being processed as at 30 September 2003 is some 5,147 in the office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and some 2,800 in the Refugee Appeals Tribunal.*

Of these figures some 2,500 applications are in the asylum process for over six months, the vast majority of which are at an advanced stage of processing.*

*Figures supplied up to 30/09/03.