168 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the cost of processing asylum applications in the years 2009 and 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2004/11]

The Deputy will be aware, applications for refugee status in the State are determined by an independent process comprising the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC) and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal (RAT) which make recommendations to the Minister for Justice and Law Reform on whether such status should be granted.

The costs to my Department in respect of ORAC and RAT are included in the total expenditure for running the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS), which includes the delivery of services across the asylum, immigration, naturalisation and visa areas. In 2009, the cost of running the INIS was €64.25m, and the provisional cost for 2010 is approximately €57m.

169 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the costs associated with assisting the voluntary return home of failed asylum seekers in the years 2009 and 2010; the number of asylum seekers whose voluntary return home was assisted in each of those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2005/11]

In 2009, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) assisted 170 failed asylum seekers to return home voluntarily. I am advised that the cost of this assistance was just over €111,000. In 2010 the equivalent figures were 159 and €104,000. The costs which include air fares also include expenses associated with transit and post arrival assistance and in some cases assistance with reintegration in the destination country.

Also, a further 32 failed asylum seekers were assisted to return home voluntarily by my Department in 2009 at a cost of approximately €6,000. In 2010, a further 24 failed asylum seekers were assisted to return home voluntarily by my Department at no cost to the State.