David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 56: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of applications for refugee status from asylum seekers in 2006; the number of these applications which were initially decided in favour of the applicant; the number of same decided in favour following an appeal; the number of people currently awaiting decision on their asylum or refugee status; the average length of time it takes to process an application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6868/07]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The information requested by the Deputy is as follows:

In 2006 there were 4,314 applications for refugee status in the State which was a slight decrease on the 2005 figure and the lowest annual total since 1997. The 2006 figure represents a 63% reduction on the 2002 high of 11,634 asylum applications.

In 2006 there were 397 recommendations to grant refugee status at first instance by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner.

251 appeals in 2006 in the Refugee Appeals Tribunal resulted in refugee status being granted to applicants.

As at 31 December 2006, there were a total of 924 applications waiting decision in the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner only some 47 of which are over six months old.

There were a total of 2500 appeals outstanding in the Refugee Appeals Tribunal at the end of December 2006. The high number of appeals outstanding in RAT is the result of the need to develop a new system for accessing decisions by appellants as a result of a Supreme Court judgment. Arrangements are now in place in the Tribunal to process cases on hands as expeditiously as possible.

In relation to processing times, I can inform the Deputy that average processing times for prioritised applications to the end of January 2007 have been 18 working days at ORAC and 15 working days at RAT. Some 40% of all applications are currently covered by the prioritised caseload provisions.

In respect of non-prioritised applications, during 2006 the interview date in ORAC was normally within 25 working days of the application date. Consideration of the application by ORAC was normally completed within a further 20 to 25 working days.

The average length of time taken by the Refugee Appeals Tribunal (RAT) to process and complete substantive appeals received in 2006 was approximately 15 weeks.