Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

This would allow an applicant to appeal against his or her own decision to withdraw an application or against his or her own actions in failing to pursue an application. That would be unreasonable. It would also have the effect of turning the Refugee Appeals Tribunal into an investigating body of first instance. If there was no material for it to consider except that which was put before it and seen by officials of the State for the first time in the course of the appeal, that, in effect, would make it into a tribunal of first instance. In those circumstances, I am opposed to and unable to accept the amendment.