Mags GarganA religious charity advocating for the rights of refugees has called on the Government to formally announce an acceleration in the processing of asylum applications.
Eugene Quinn, National Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service said the Government “seems to have informally given prioritisation to processing applications for people living in direct provision for five years or more, but without a public announcement, how will people who might benefit from this become aware of it?”
Mr Quinn, who was part of a Government working group which recommended a number of improvements to the direct provision system earlier this year, said it was “critical that additional resources are made available so that while cases longest in the system are being addressed, another backlog is not created, basically robbing Peter to pay Paul”.
In recent weeks approximately 220 more people have been granted leave to remain in Ireland which is an increase of about a third more than this time last year. Minister of State for Equality and New Communities, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has confirmed that there has been “an acceleration of the numbers in direct provision being processed” and said that in the “coming period of time that decision will be formalised and people will have a proper official recognition that that is the approach from here on”.