Seán Haughey
Ceist:1047 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of outstanding applications for refugee status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21571/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 29 September 2004
Ceisteanna (866)
Freagraí scríofa
As at 31 August 2004 the number of outstanding applications for refugee status in the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, ORAC, was 2,674. The number of outstanding appeals in the Refugee Appeals Tribunal, RAT, was 1,637. Only some 1,589 of these applications are over six months old, as compared with 6,500 at the end of September 2001.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that processing is moving strongly in both the ORAC and RAT with the number of cases on hand in the ORAC at the end of August 2004 down by some 48% since September 2003. As regards the RAT, the number of cases on hand at the end of August 2004 has deceased by 43% since September 2003.