Under the Refugee Act 1996, as amended by section 11(1) of the Immigration Act, 1999, and by section 9 of the Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Act, 2000, your application for a declaration as a
refugee will be dealt with:
at first instance by the Refugee Applications Commissioner,
at appeal (if one is made) by the Refugee Appeals Tribunal,
and finally, based on the recommendation of the Refugee Applications Commissioner or the Refugee Appeals Tribunal, a decision will be taken by the Minister for Justice.
You may make an application for a declaration as a refugee at the port of entry. At the port of entry, you will undergo certain formalities including an initial interview but you will always be required to subsequently attend at the Office at the Refugee Applications Commissioner. You may also make your application for a declaration as a refugee at the Office of the Refugee Applications
Commissioner. This section outlines the procedure to be followed in each case.

Rules

At the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner

If you indicate that you wish to apply for asylum, you will be asked to complete an application form for a declaration as a refugee.
You may be given Notice in writing that your application may be examined under the Dublin Convention (see Dublin Convention on this site) to determine whether Ireland or another Dublin Convention country is responsible for examining your application.
Your application must be accompanied by any original travel documents (passports, laissez-passer) in your possession and, if appropriate, those of your children under 18 years. Unless you have a reasonable cause for not doing so, you must also furnish originals of all identity documents, birth and marriage certificates in your possession relating to you and/or your children.
You will be given an initial interview, in accordance with section 8 of the Refugee Act, 1996, as amended, in order to establish whether you wish to make an application for a declaration, and if so, to find out the general grounds upon which the application is based; your identity, nationality and country of origin; the method of your entry (that is, the mode of transport used and the route you travelled) into the state; the reason why you are in the state; the legal basis for your presence in the state and any other basic information that the Refugee Applications Commissioner requires.
At the end of your interview in accordance with section 8 of the Refugee Act, 1996, as amended, you will be advised of your right to consult a solicitor and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). ( see Legal Aid for Asylum Seekers on this site)

As part of the process, you will be required to have your photograph taken, and, if you are over the age of 14 years, your fingerprints taken. Fingerprinting is a routine procedure to guard against fraudulent applications. Your fingerprints will be used only for asylum purposes. They may be disclosed in confidence to the asylum authorities of other countries, which may have responsibility for considering your application under the Dublin Convention.
If you refuse to allow your fingerprints to be taken, you will be deemed not to have made reasonable effort to establish your true identity and to have deliberately obstructed the investigation of your application. Your application for a declaration as a refugee may be deemed manifestly unfounded. You should also note that in accordance with section 9(8)(c), where an immigration officer or a member of the Garda Siochana (the Irish police force), with reasonable cause, suspects that an applicant has not made reasonable effort to establish his or her identity, he or she may detain the person concerned.
You will be given a questionnaire, which you must complete and return at a date and time specified by the Refugee Applications Commissioner. The information you supply in the questionnaire will be considered in assessing your application. It is important, therefore, that you answer all questions fully and truthfully.
If you fail to return your questionnaire by the specified date, you may be found to have deliberately obstructed the investigation of your application and your application could be deemed to be manifestly unfounded under section 12(4)(f) of the Refugee Act, 1996, as amended.
When you return your questionnaire, you will be issued with a Temporary Residence Certificate setting out your personal details and containing your photograph.
All persons, other than children under 18 years of age (minors) accompanying their parents, must complete a questionnaire. However, minors will have their photographs taken.
You will be referred to the Reception and Integration Agency, which will arrange for you to be taken to a reception centre in the Dublin area where you will remain for a short period, while your needs are assessed. You will then be relocated to accommodation, which may be outside Dublin, and where you will be expected to stay while your application for a declaration as a refugee is being processed.

Where to apply
The Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner,
79-83 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2 Telephone: 01 602 8000 LoCall: 1890 202 418