Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 299: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will grant asylum to persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6693/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The persons concerned are a husband, his wife and the couple's child. The husband and wife lodged separate asylum applications on 18 September, 2009. The child made an asylum application on 28 July, 2010. All three asylum applications were individually considered and it was found that none of the persons concerned met the criteria for recognition as a refugee.

Arising from the refusal of their respective asylum applications, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), they were separately notified, the husband and wife by letters dated 24 May, 2010 and the child by letter dated 30 December, 2010, that the Minister proposed to make Deportation Orders in respect of them. They were each given the options, to be exercised within 15 working days, of leaving the State voluntarily, of consenting to the making of Deportation Orders or of making representations to the Minister setting out the reasons why Deportation Orders should not be made against them. In addition, they were notified of their respective entitlements to apply for Subsidiary Protection in accordance with the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations 2006.

The persons concerned submitted applications for Subsidiary Protection. When consideration of these applications has been completed, the persons concerned will be notified in writing of the outcomes.

In the event that the applications for Subsidiary Protection are refused, the position in the State of the persons concerned will then be decided by reference to the provisions of Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and Section 5 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) on the prohibition of refoulement. All representations submitted will be considered before the files are passed to me for decision. Once decisions have been made, these decisions and the consequences of the decisions will be conveyed in writing to the persons concerned.

I should remind the Deputy that queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by Email using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. The service enables up-to-date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek this information through the more administratively expensive Parliamentary Questions process.