The Irish Refugee Council has described as "well-considered" criticisms of the State's asylum process by a Government-appointed refugee appeals lawyer. The council, which is the main voluntary organisation dealing with asylum-seekers and refugees, said remarks by the Independent Appeals Authority member, Mr Peter Finlay SC, that asylum-seekers' rights were being trammelled, were "fair".
Mr Finlay said at the weekend that the Refugee Legal Service, which provides free legal aid to asylum-seekers, was not truly independent because it was an offshoot of the Legal Aid Board, whose board is appointed by the Minister for Justice.
The board's director of legal aid, Mr Frank Brady, has rejected Mr Finlay's criticism as "totally unfounded" and defended the service's professionalism and independence.
Mr Finlay is one of five lawyers who sit part-time as members of the Independent Appeals Authority to hear appeals from Department of Justice decisions to refuse refugee status to asylum-seekers.
Another member of the authority, Mr Aidan Eames, who was appointed last June, said yesterday he was "surprised and disappointed" that the independent appeals process has "seemingly been politicised" by Mr Finlay's remarks.
However, the Irish Refugee Council agreed with Mr Finlay that, despite the excellent work done by staff at the Refugee Legal Service, "it is perceived by its users as not being wholly independent".