Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Nov 2001

Vol. 543 No. 2

Written Answers. - Aliens Office.

Gay Mitchell

Question:

707 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the measures he will take to provide a service in the Aliens Office in line with the strategic management initiative; the plans he has to open more offices throughout the city and the regions; the number of new aliens registered in each month of each of the years from 1997 to 2001; the number who re-registered in each month of those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26790/01]

Tony Gregory

Question:

710 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his Department will assist a person (details supplied) in Dublin 8 to complete the alien registration process. [26925/01]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue):

I propose to take Questions Nos. 707 and 710 together.

The Department and the Garda National Immigration Bureau are working closely together with a view to responding to the dramatic and unprecedented increase in the number of non-nationals seeking to register or renew their permission to remain at the immigration registration office at Harcourt Square. The number of persons per annum attending the office has increased from 12,803 in 1998 to 17,064 in 1999, 26,641 in 2000 and more than 47,000 in the first ten months of 2001. The number for the first 10 months of 2001 therefore represents a 76% increase in the number for the whole of 2000. I understand from the Garda authorities that it would not be possible to provide a monthly breakdown of these figures without a disproportionate diversion of staff resources from the core business of dealing with persons seeking to register. In this regard it should be noted that prior to 21 September 2001 the Garda registration system was entirely paper-based.

The initiatives under way or planned for the registration office are set out in some detail in my response to Question No. 453 of 16 October 2001. These include additional resources, longer opening hours, computerisation of the registration process and streamlining of operating procedures. There are no plans at present to establish additional registration offices in the Dublin area. Instead, I am pleased to be able to advise the Deputies that the Office of Public Works has in recent days signed a contract to purchase new and far larger accommodation for the registration office, which will be ready for occupation by the middle of next year. The intention is that the new accommodation will provide a "one stop shop" for legally resident non-nationals in the Dublin area as it will also accommodate the immigration and citizenship division of my Department together with the Visa Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

I am confident that the above initiatives and particularly the new accommodation will mean that persons seeking to register or avail of the other immigration-related services provided to non-nationals will be able to do so without delay or undue inconvenience. I understand that the person referred to by both Deputies was registered by the Garda authorities last Sunday along with numbers of other people whom it had not been possible to accommodate previously.