Asylum Applications.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 December 2004

Thursday, 2 December 2004

Questions (214)

Jan O'Sullivan

Question:

214 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if priority will be given to dealing with the asylum applications of parents of Irish born children who have been here for more than two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31937/04]

Written answers

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

Applications for asylum from persons who are parents of Irish born children are not prioritised unless otherwise subject to a ministerial prioritisation directive.

Ministerial prioritisation directives made under section 12 of the Refugee Act 1996 apply to applications made by nationals of Nigeria and of countries designated as safe countries of origin by the Minister under the 1996 Act. Typically, such cases are now completed by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, ORAC, within five to six weeks of an application being received, except when compelling — for example, medical — reasons prevent the case from going ahead.

In practice, as a significant proportion of all applicants are prioritised in this way, many of the cases referred to by the Deputy would be dealt with under the prioritised timescale.