Madam, - I refer to the article by Valerie Hughes in your edition of March 22nd entitled "Recent expulsions betray the legacy of St Patrick" and would like to clarify some matters for your readers.
The article is concerned with deportation yet the accompanying photograph is of this office. Deportation is not a matter for the Refugee Applications Commissioner.
Furthermore, the photograph used was most misleading as it predates the establishment of this office in November 2000. It misrepresents the progress made in the elimination of the backlog inherited by this office since then.
Since its establishment, the office has continued to maintain its investment in high quality training, mentoring and other support structures in order to achieve a consistently high quality of investigation and decision-making within minimum timeframes.
In 2004, cases on hand were reduced to almost 50 per cent and stood at just over 2,350 at the end of the year. Nearly 60 per cent of all applications received during 2004 had already been completed. By the end of the year, applications made in the second half of 2004 were being scheduled for interview in early 2005. - Yours, etc.,
BERENICE O'NEILL, Refugee Applications Commissioner, Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2.