Nora Owen
Ceist:76 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Justice the number of decisions his Department have made on refugees that differed from recommendations of the UNHCR; and if he will give the reasons for such differences.
Written Answers. - Decisions on Refugees.
When dealing with applications for refugee status my Department seek the views of the UNHCR and the Department of Foreign Affairs on whether, in the opinion of those bodies, the applicant has demonstrated a well founded fear of persecution which would enable a determination to be made that the person qualified for recognition as a refugee under the terms of the Geneva Convention, 1951, as amended by the New York Protocol, 1967.
Decisions on applications are taken by me and all I am prepared to say in relation to the basis on which I exercise the discretion vested in me in this matter is that I attach the utmost weight to observations received from the UNHCR.