Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 347: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the number of Irish born children presently being individually processed through the asylum system and not simply registered as family dependants; the number of such applications determined to date; the number that have resulted in the granting of permission to remain here and the basis for any such decision reached and the number who have been denied permission to remain here [37390/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Based on figures to the end of September 2010, there are currently approximately 300 applications being processed in the asylum system in respect of children born in Ireland. Between 1 January 2005 (the earliest date for which information is available) and 30 September 2010, approximately 1,750 recommendations were made in respect of such applications, approximately 40 of which were to grant refugee status with the balance refused.

Statistics are not maintained in relation to the basis for individual recommendations to grant refugee status. The statutory basis for such decisions is set out in Section 2 of the Refugee Act which defines a refugee as "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."