Vol. 575 No. 3
83 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the findings of a recent report commissioned by the Irish Refugee Council which found that the appeals stage of the asylum process was neither transparent nor consistent; the steps he is taking to deal with the issues highlighted in the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28243/03]
The Deputy is referring to the report entitled Asylum in Ireland: The Appeal Stage – A Report on the Fairness and Sustainability of Refugee Determination at Appeal Stage, commissioned by the Irish Refugee Council. I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 566 of 4 November 2003 regarding that report.
I reiterate that I am satisfied with the existing statutory framework underpinning the appeal stage of our refugee determination system. In particular, the statutory independence of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal is clearly enshrined in the Refugee Act 1996 and has been further enhanced by the additional powers given to the chairperson to manage the business of the tribunal which were contained in the Immigration Act 2003.
