Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 28 February 2023
Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth
Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed)
Mr. Brian Collins:
That person then goes through his or her substantive interview, which could be three to five hours long. It is then put to the applicant as what is called a credibility concern and he or she has an opportunity to respond, but the damage may have already been done at that point if the applicant has not had good legal advice or any legal advice at the start. The person is then in a position where his or her explanation at interview is given some consideration, but it may not outweigh what went before. Early legal advice is very important. The Deputy is right. It can crop up later and end up with somebody having a credibility concern around his or her case. The majority of unsuccessful cases are unsuccessful on credibility grounds. That is a fair statement. It is important and underscores the need for early legal advice. That is why we are concerned about the IPO process at the moment and filling out the questionnaire on the day.