During 1999 and 2000 permission to remain in the State was given to 2,473 asylum applicants. Of that figure, 86 per cent received permission as the parents of Irish-born children, while a further 8 per cent were allowed stay on the basis of marriage to an Irish national and 6 per cent on the basis of marriage to a national of the European Economic Area (EEA) which includes the EU and a number of other regions such as Iceland.
The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, also told Mr Ivor Callely (FF, Dublin North Central) in a written reply that of decisions made on 5,493 applications in 2000 a total of 2,269 applications were "manifestly unfounded". Of 3,541 appeals completed last year 1,459 appeals were decided as "manifestly unfounded".