Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the fees paid to each refugee appeals tribunal member, individually, for each of the years 2008 to 2012 inclusive. [3745/13]

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of cases head by each refugee appeals tribunal member, individually, for each of the years 2008 to 2012 inclusive. [3746/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 548 and 549 together.

The information sought by the Deputy is set-out in the appendices to this reply. Overall, in line with the reduction in the number of new claims for asylum in recent years, there has been a significant reduction in the number of cases coming before the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. Accordingly, the number of cases and fees paid in 2012 has decreased by approximately 80% over the 2009 levels. The scale of fees paid to Members depends on a number of criteria such as whether it involves a substantive hearing, an accelerated appeal or a case under the Dublin Convention/Manifestly Unfounded process. Within each of these categories, the scale of fees are tiered in accordance with the nature of the work involved such as for an oral hearing, cases of a husband and wife heard together or separate and so forth. The amounts listed include some training costs, particularly in the earlier years and payments in any particular year may relate to work done in earlier years.

The Refugee Appeals Tribunal is an independent, statutory body, established and operating pursuant to the Refugee Act, 1996 (as amended). The business of the Tribunal is conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Act and in particular the Second Schedule therein. In this regard my Department has been advised by the Chairperson of the Tribunal that the work of the Tribunal is assigned to Members commensurate with experience, expertise in particular areas of work and their availability. All Members are barristers or solicitors with at least 5 years experience and are appointed as Members of the Tribunal to act in a part-time capacity.

Due to the fall in asylum applications and the consequential fall in appeals lodged with the Tribunal in recent years, there has not been a requirement since I took office to appoint new members or to consider the re-appointment of Members whose 3 year term of office has expired. However, as the complement of Members currently stands at 13 (from a peak of 35 in 2008) and will be further reduced over the course of 2013 with the expiry of terms of office of current Members, I have decided that a Public Appointments Service (PAS) competition will be advertised shortly. Arising from this competition I propose to appoint suitably qualified candidates as and when the need arises. I should add that a separate PAS competition was recently advertised to fill the position of Chairperson.

Appendix 1: The number of cases processed to completion by each Tribunal Member in the period 2008-2012 (inclusive of all appeal types). Table 1: 2008

Table 2 : 2009

Table 3: 2010

Table 4 : 2011

Table 5; 2012

Appendix 2: Fees paid to Tribunal Members for the years 2008 - 2012

Table 1: 2008.

Table 2 : 2009.

Table 3 : 2010.

Table 4 : 2011.

Table 5 : 2012 (Provisional).