Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 519: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of asylum applications which are successful; the principal grounds under which such applications are approved; the rate of success of such applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23663/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I presume that when the Deputy refers to successful applications, he is referring to applications for asylum that resulted in a recommendation to grant refugee status. Between 1992 and 31 August 2007 there was a total of 75,156 applications for asylum in the State. The number of recommendations to grant refugee status at first instance and at appeal stage in the same period was 8,773.

Statistics are not maintained in relation to the grounds under which such applications are approved. However, these are provided for in Section 2 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) which states: "'a refugee' means a person who, owing to a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his or her nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his or her former habitual residence, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it."

The Deputy will undoubtedly be aware at this stage that the asylum process in place in the State is comprehensive and compares well with many other countries, particularly our EU partners. This fact was acknowledged by a former UNHCR Representative to Ireland who is quoted as stating that Ireland is now a model for the new Member States of the European Union and that "we now have a system which, in many respects, is one of the best in Europe".