Members of refugee tribunal paid €3m

Almost €3 million has been paid to members of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal in less than 2½ years. One member of the tribunal was paid €320,000 in the period between November 2001 and April 2003.

Members of the legal profession make up the tribunal's ranks, appointment to which has proven very lucrative for a small group of people. The names of two former Fianna Fáil ministers also appear on the members' list.

Members of the tribunal receive €385 each for every appeal they preside over involving an oral hearing. In substantive cases without an oral hearing tribunal members are paid €240 each per case.

And in "manifestly unfounded cases" when appeals are decided by simply reviewing a file, the members of the tribunal are paid €150 each for reading the case material and making a decision.

In 2002 the tribunal received 5,297 appeals, with 86 per cent of those refused refugee status by the Refugee Applications Commissioner taking aappeal to the tribunal.

The appeals tribunal affirmed the decision to refuse refugee status in 75 per cent of cases which progressed.

In total, 29 of the tribunal's 31 members have received payment since their appointment at dates since November 2000.

Ms Leonie Hussey O'Brien and Ms Olive Brennan are the only two members who have yet to receive any remuneration.

Barristers Mr Des Zaiden, Ms Sunniva McDonagh and Ms Doreen Shivnen are members of the tribunal, as are solicitors Mr Ben Garvey and Mr Bruce St John Blake.

Judge Gillian Hussey was appointed to the tribunal in May 2002, and a former DPP, Mr Eamonn Barnes, has been a member since November 2000.

The former Fianna Fáil minister for foreign affairs, Mr David Andrews, has been a member sine June of last year. In his first 11 months he received just over €40,000. The barrister Mr Rory McCabe, who advised Mr Andrews, was appointed to the tribunal in July 2001, and has received €102,218 to date.

Former EU Commissioner and Fianna Fáil minister Mr Michael O'Kennedy was appointed in June 2002, and has received €37,054 for his efforts thus far.

New figures released by the Department of Justice reveal three members of the tribunal received remuneration above €200,000 between November 2000 and April 2003.

The figures were released in answer to a parliamentary question tabled in the Dáil by the Labour leader Mr Pat Rabbitte.

The biggest earner was Mr Jim Nicholson who had received €319,770 as of April 30th. The figure is more than three times the annual salary of the tribunal's chairman Mr P J Farrell.

The next biggest earner behind Mr Nicholson was Mr Eamonn Cahill, who has received €271,960 since his appointment to the tribunal in November 2000. In third place was Ms Bernadette Cronin on €231,189.

The full list, in order of when they were appointed, is: Mr Eamonn Cahill (€271,960); Mr Aidan Eames (€176,847); Ms Veronica Gates (€19,161); Ms Dympna Cusack (€10,792); Mr Eamonn Barnes (€104,388); Mr Jim Nicholson (€319,770); Mr Donal Egan (€176,299); Mr Patrick Hurley (€174,348); Ms Sunniva McDonagh (€94,852); Mr Des Zaiden (€109,579); Mr Conor Bowman (€42,560); Ms Bernadette Cronin (€231,189); Mr John Ryan (€75,420); Ms Doreen Shivnen (€76,797); Mr Joseph Ward (€40,853); Mr Con Murphy (€31,582); Ms Michelle O'Gorman (€100,923); Mr Rory McCabe (€102,218); Mr Ben Garvey (€144,692); Mr Declan McHugh (€40,277); Mr Paul McGarry (€73,250); Mr Bruce St John Blake (€31,084); Mr Denis Linehan (€25,419); Ms Ann Tait (€28,370); Mr John Hayes (€76,010); Judge Gillian Hussey (€20,887); Mr Joseph Barnes (€5,694); Mr David Andrews (€40,197); Mr Michael O'Kennedy (€37,054).