Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 140: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the way in which the decision not to make a European Refugee Fund allocation in 2006 to the NASC organisation in Cork was arrived at; and when applications to other parts of the country were agreed to. [15881/06]

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 141: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the persons who partake in the independent committee that makes recommendations relating to the European Refugee Fund. [15882/06]

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 142: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the criteria used by the committee which recommends European Refugee Fund decisions. [15883/06]

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 143: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the decision made by the independent committee of the European Refugee Fund regarding the NASC organisation in Cork. [15884/06]

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 144: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the final decision on use of the European Refugee Fund is made by an independent committee or elsewhere in his Department. [15885/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 to 144, inclusive, together.

The selection of suitable proposals for co-financing under the European Refugee Fund 2005-07 took place on 27 March 2006. Final decisions on the successful projects were made by an independent selection committee comprising representatives from both governmental and non-governmental organisations. As indicated in the guidelines published with the call for proposals on 4 October 2005, decisions made by the selection committee are not subject to appeal. Amounts are allocated to the successful projects immediately following the decision of the committee. Applications for co-financing totalling €5 million in respect of 32 projects were received. However, as only around €3 million was available for distribution, it was inevitable that some projects would not be funded. In this context, the NASC project did not receive funds on this occasion. In line with current practice on ERF funding, the fact that an organisation had been co-financed by the European Refugee Fund in the past was not a guarantee of continued funding as each application was assessed in respect of the merits of all the other applications received.

In considering the applications for funding, the committee had regard to the European Council decision of 2 December 2004 establishing the European Refugee Fund for the period 2005 to 2010 and the guidelines published with the call for proposals on 4 October 2005. Other criteria included the degree to which each proposal complemented overall national requirements, cost effectiveness, organisational capacity, and the sustainability and long-term benefits of each proposal.

The selection committee had a non-voting chairperson, Mr. John Haskins of the Reception and Integration Agency and the nine members were as follows: Sr. Bríd Keenan, Vincentian Refugee Centre, St. Peter's Church, Phibsboro; Mr. Eamonn Martin, Sophia Housing Association; Ms Niamh O'Doherty, Comhairle; Mr. William O'Dwyer, diversity and equality law division, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; Sr. Joan Roddy: Churches Asylum Network and Refugee Project; Mr. Gerard Roughneen: Reception and Integration Agency, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; Ms Anne Marie Treacy, asylum policy division, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; Ms Jennifer Wallace, National Consultative Committee for Racism and Interculturalism; and Ms Emily Wiinblad, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.