The Government has revived plans to hold selected asylum seekers in detention centres while their applications are fast-tracked.
The proposal, which was first mooted by former minister for justice Michael McDowell last year, is aimed at preventing the evasion of deportation orders by unsuccessful asylum applicants.
A Department of Justice spokeswoman told The Irish Times: "The department is looking very seriously at bringing forward proposals, including legislative elements, for detaining certain selected protection applicants with a view to processing their claims quickly and efficiently to finality."
It is understood detainees could be selected on the basis of their nationality, with those from designated "safe" countries being processed within days. This would be similar to the UK system, where those believed most likely to have a groundless claim - including men from certain countries - are held in closed reception centres while their papers are examined.
"In overall terms, approximately 90 per cent of applicants are shown not to be in need of protection following a rigorous examination of their cases, whilst in regard to some nationalities, this figure can be much higher," the spokeswoman said.
Officials argue that the use of detention is recognised internationally as a tool in deterring unfounded claims for refugee status and say the proposals would bring Ireland into line with other EU states such as Denmark, the UK and The Netherlands.
Senior civil servants have already travelled to Schiphol detention centre in The Netherlands and Yarls Wood, a privately-run holding centre in Bedfordshire in England, which can hold up to 900 detainees.
Despite Mr McDowell's announcement that the idea was being explored, detention centres were not provided for in last year's Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill, which fell with the dissolution of the last Dáil. Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan is expected to publish a revised version of the Bill in the coming weeks.
Opposition politicians and immigrant groups were critical of the initial proposals, which the Green Party described as a "crass attack on the most vulnerable".
However, the Department of Justice insists that, should the plan be implemented, "the same high standards of procedural fairness", including access to legal services and interpretation, will apply.
The chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council, Robin Hanan, said yesterday that the introduction of detention would be "an unnecessary panic move".
"We would be very concerned at the idea of detaining people who are not guilty of a criminal offence simply because they're seeking what is one of the most fundamental rights under international law, which is the right to protection from persecution," he added.
