Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 13 Nov 1990

Vol. 402 No. 5

Written Answers. - Non-planned Refugees.

Patrick McCartan

Ceist:

124 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for Justice the financial support he provides for the reception, care and maintenance of non-planned refugees to the State; the way in which they are catered for; the proposals he has to improve on these facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Patrick McCartan

Ceist:

125 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for Justice the number of non-planned refugees to the State over the past five years on a monthly basis; the country of nationality of these refugees; the number who were admitted to the State; the number who left voluntarily; the number who were expelled; the average length of stay of the refugees here while their position was being processed; and the cost of these stays to the Exchequer on an annual basis.

Minister for Justice (Mr. Burke)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 124 and 125 together.

The detailed information requested by the Deputy is not readily available and could be collated only by the commitment of staff resources to an extent that could not be justified. Statistics available are as follows:

	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990
Number of applications for asylum	19	50	49	36	48
Number of applications granted	4	15	2	1	—
Applications for refugee status refused but applicants allowed to remain	7	7	15	—	7
Applications under consideration	—	1	3	12	17
Applications refused (applicants left Ireland either to their own country or to another country)	8	27	27	23	20
Applicants who cannot be traced	—	—	2	—	4

The length of stay of refugees varies considerably but in general it would be a matter of some months. As regards the general care and maintenance of refugees this is provided mainly by the Irish Red Cross who receive an annual grant from the Department of Defence. I do not see that there is a need to change this arrangement.