I propose to take Questions Nos. 362 to 366, inclusive, together.
As the Deputy will be aware, under the Refugee Act 1996, two independent statutory offices were established to consider applications and appeals on refugee status and to make recommendations to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform on whether such status such be granted to asylum applicants. These two offices are the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, ORAC, which considers applications for a declaration as a refugee at first instance, and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal, RAT, which considers appeals from negative recommendations of the commissioner.
I would also point out that the heads of those offices, namely, the Refugee Applications Commissioner and the chairperson of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal also occupy independent statutory positions under the 1996 Act and the manner in which they carry out their functions and, for example, assign their staff, is a matter for them within the framework of their statutory responsibilities.
I am informed that the ORAC is one of a number of Departments and agencies which have been accommodated by the Office of Public Works at 6-7 Hanover Street, Dublin 1, which is also occupied by the RAT. Staff of the ORAC known as presenting officers represent the Refugee Applications Commissioner at appeals hearings and occupy a wing of the building in which only those staff reside. Those ORAC staff do not have access to any RAT accommodation other than rooms in which appeals hearings are held and ORAC and RAT staff do not share any floor in the building concerned. A presenting officer is called to attend an appeals hearing when the hearing is ready to commence. I am informed that a similar arrangement is in place for applicants, their legal representatives, interpreters and other participants at an appeals hearing. At the present time, some 36 staff from the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner work at 6-7 Hanover Street. I reiterate that irrespective of the accommodation arrangements for their staff, both agencies are independent of each other in relation to the asylum decision-making process.