Minister of State Liz O'Donnell has certainly enjoyed a lower profile since she went on a solo run to decry immigration and asylum policy as a "shambles" in autumn 1999.
But almost a year after the Government announced a £70 million package of initiatives to put a shape finally on that policy, the Minister says she remains concerned about elements of it and frustrated with the slow pace of change.
The Progressive Democrats' Minister of State for Foreign Affairs has a fresh wish list for what she terms this "work in progress". It includes granting more asylum-seekers the right to work, a new drive through embassies to attract migrant workers and more sustained input into defining policy from other Departments, instead of just the "security-led one of Justice". "I wouldn't say I am pleased at the progress to date," she says. "But I have to acknowledge that, given the scale of the challenge facing the Department of Justice and the Government when they came to office, significant progress has been made. Asylum-seekers are continuing to arrive in numbers . . . and it's our job to deal with that."
Ms O'Donnell's remarks about the "doom-laden ad-hoc policy" towards asylum-seekers followed chaotic scenes of overcrowding at the Refugee Applications Centre in Dublin in autumn 1999, which led to its temporary closure.
She stands by her rebuke and says she achieved her aim of getting more "joined-up government" with the establishment of an inter-departmental cabinet sub-committee on asylum and immigration issues chaired by the Taoiseach. As Minister of State with responsibility for overseas development and human rights, she says her Department has ongoing input into policy.
"I really believe that . . . it can't be left to one lead Department because the issues are about individuals and the Department of Justice can't deal with the full plethora of issues that arise in relation to housing, education, training, trauma counselling - all of the sorts of non-asylum aspects." However, the Minister is critical of delays in implementing progressive aspects of policy, while "prime attention" is paid to "regressive" measures. These include recent tightened checks on immigrants on the France to Rosslare ferry sailings, and the replacement of social welfare cash payments with the "direct provision" system of benefits in kind. Security-related initiatives should not be "front-loaded".
Ms O'Donnell says she is frustrated by delays in starting both the £4.5 million anti-racism awareness campaign - originally due to begin last autumn - and setting up the Reception and Integration Agency, which will formally begin its work of catering for asylum-seekers and refugees next April. She has high hopes for this agency "if it's allowed have its independence".
"Justice is such a busy Department, dealing with legislation on carriers' liability, trafficking and a raft of other criminal-related legislation," she says. "While I'm frustrated at the slowness of pace, these things aren't really postponable. Because in the postponement of the delivery of those services, with a proper mindset informed by other Government Departments rather than just the security-led one of Justice, the problems fester and racism has taken hold." Campaigning by Ms O'Donnell, supported by the Tanaiste Ms Harney, led to a cabinet decision to grant the right to work to a limited group of asylum-seekers in June 1999. The right was given to those who had arrived in the State before then - and it only kicked in once they had been waiting a year for their cases to be determined.
She says this scheme has been a success, with about 1,500 of almost 3,500 people eligible to work currently in employment.
"Given that we haven't reduced the time it takes to process claims down to six months yet, there may well be room for another finite decision for a cohort of people who, in justice and in line with the earlier cabinet decision, should be allowed the right to work," she adds.
"Maybe the numbers would have gone up anyway," Ms O'Donnell argues. "Statistics can be used to fuel any argument. My own view is our lack of preparedness and absence of procedures contributed."
She says her Department is examining ways for embassies and diplomatic missions to undertake public information campaigns to encourage economic migrants to enter the State legally.
"If only 12 per cent of asylum-seekers are being given [refugee] status, it would suggest that large groups of them are economic migrants. What's wrong with that? We were all economic migrants, but using the asylum process is the wrong way to go. There should be a route for economic migrants to come here."
She says: "I remain concerned that, notwithstanding the progress made with great efforts from [the Department of] Justice and the Minister, I would like to see a greater acceptance of the role of other Departments in the forging of policy in this area as we go along and more co-operation, more consultation to take account of the multi-dimensional issues at stake here. It affects our international reputation, it affects how we see ourselves as a nation. It affects our reputation in Europe. It's very much part of the value discussion that goes on about the new Ireland."