Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 229: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the cost of each judicial review of the decisions of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal for 2002, 2003 and 2004. [9569/05]

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 230: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the average cost of each appeal from the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner to the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. [9570/05]

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 231: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of settlements in relation to each respective member of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. [9571/05]

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 232: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of unsuccessful cases per individual Refugee Appeals Tribunal member judicially reviewed by the High Court. [9572/05]

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 233: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of successful cases per individual Refugee Appeals Tribunal member judicially reviewed by the High Court. [9573/05]

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 234: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of successful judicial reviews of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal by the High Court in 2002, 2003 and 2004. [9574/05]

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 235: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of appeals which have either been allowed or rejected by each member of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal in 2002, 2003 and 2004. [9575/05]

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 236: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of successful appeals from the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner to the Refugee Appeals Tribunal in 2002, 2003 and 2004. [9576/05]

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 237: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of appeals from the Office of the Refugee Applications Commission to the Refugee Appeals Tribunal in 2002, 2003 and 2004. [9577/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 229 to 237, inclusive, together.

The information requested by the Deputy, in so far as it is readily available to me, is provided in this reply. The number of appeals against the recommendations of the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner received by the Refugee Appeals Tribunal in 2002, 2003 and 2004 and the number of appeals which were granted for those years are set out in the tables.

I am informed that the information concerning the average cost of an appeal is not readily available to the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. However, based on 6,520 appeal cases completed in 2004 and expenditure including staff salaries in 2004 of €8.4 million — salaries of €4 million and other expenditure of €4.4 million — the average cost per appeal is in the region of €1,300. The figures in question relate specifically to the tribunal.

The following table provides the information requested by the Deputy, in so far as it is available, on the outcomes of judicial review cases taken against the tribunal which were finalised in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

I am informed by the tribunal that it commenced paying judicial review costs from 2003. In 2003, legal costs, amounting to €33,682.23, were paid in respect of four judicial review cases. In 2004, €787,692.12 was paid in respect of 35 judicial review cases. The Deputy asked for additional information about individual members of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. I have been advised by the chairperson of the tribunal that as his organisation is a statutory body, independent in the performance of its functions under the provisions of sections 15 and 16 of the Refugee Act 1996, it would be inappropriate for him to provide the requested information.