Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 503: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the position regarding asylum seekers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48123/10]

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 504: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the position regarding immigrants (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48124/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 503 and 504 together.

My Department has established a comprehensive system for the provision of the broad range of immigration services. The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) was established in 2005 and together with the Garda National Immigration Bureau administers the immigration service on behalf of the State. Other offices within my Department such as the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, COSC and the Victims of Crime Unit, while not exclusively dealing with immigrants, also develop policies and strategies and work closely with the Garda Síochána to assist certain immigrant sectors and individuals.

In relation to the framework established for considering asylum claims, in accordance with the provisions of the Refugee Act, 1996 (as amended), two statutory independent refugee status determination bodies, namely the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal, were established with effect from 20 November 2000, to examine at first instance and where appropriate, on appeal, applications for asylum in the State.

Over the period in question the total funding allocation for running the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS), which includes the delivery of services across the asylum, immigration, naturalisation and visa areas, has ranged from approximately €10m to approximately €64m with the 2010 allocation set at approximately €59m. The amounts allocated to my Department in respect of ORAC and RAT are included in the total allocation for running the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service.

The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers in accordance with the Government policy of direct provision and dispersal. RIA was established on 2 April 2001, with the merger of the Directorate for Asylum Support Services and the former Refugee Agency of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Over the period in question, the amount allocated to my Department for the accommodation of asylum seekers has ranged from approximately €70m to approximately €90m with the 2010 allocation set at approximately €77m. I should point out that RIA only took over responsibility for asylum seeker accommodation from the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in 2003.

The Refugee Legal Service (RLS) is responsible for the provision of confidential and independent legal services to persons applying for asylum in Ireland. The RLS was established by the Legal Aid Board as a specialised office in February 1999. Over the period in question, the amount allocated to my Department in respect of the RLS has ranged from approximately €1.3m to approximately €10m with the 2010 allocation set at approximately €8m.

The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of asylum applications received in the period 2000 - 2010 is set out in Table 1 below. In circumstances where non-nationals (excluding EEA Nationals) enter the State and remain for a period longer than ninety days, he/she is obliged, pursuant to the provisions of section 9 of Immigration Act, 2004, to present to a registration officer for the purpose of being placed on a register of non-nationals who are resident in the State. The number of non-nationals who were on the register at the end of year of the years 2000 to 2010 is set-out in Table 2 below.