Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 264: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the amount spent on judicial reviews for asylum cases in the years 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43048/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware the asylum process encompasses the activities of the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC) and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal (RAT), both of which make recommendations to the Minister for Justice and Law Reform in relation to the granting of refugee status. Persons who are refused a declaration under Section 17 of the Refugee Act 1996 that they are a refugee, subsequently enter what is commonly referred to as the "leave to remain" process. This is separate to the asylum or refugee status determination process.

I would point out that payments in relation to JRs are made on foot of Bills of Costs submitted (following clearance by the Chief State Solicitor's Office's Costs Accounting Section) by applicants' legal representatives. Accordingly, there are often considerable delays in the submission of Bills of Costs for payment; that is to say that the time between the finalisation of cases before the courts and the submission of the Bills of Costs to my Department can vary considerably.