Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 September 2012
315. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will grant a person (details supplied) whose Stamp 4 expired on 3 September, a temporary stamp pending the outcome of their application to renew it in order that they can return to their job; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40323/12]
View answerI am advised by officials in the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that the person referred to by the Deputy lodged an application for a permanent residence card (EU3) on 3rd September 2012 under the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2006 and 2008.
Regulation 16 of the Regulations provides that a non-EEA national family member of a Union citizen who, by virtue of the Regulations, is entitled to remain permanently in the State may, before the expiration date of the residence card issued to him or her, apply for a permanent residence card. In this case the person in question lodged the application on the same day as expiry of the Stamp 4.
Applicants for a permanent residence card (EU3) are advised that due to the large volume of applications it can take up to 6 months for a decision to be reached. Furthermore, all applications are dealt with strictly in chronological order of the date of receipt. I am advised that the application of the person concerned is due to come up for initial processing next week, at which time a consideration of the provision of a temporary stamp for the application period will be undertaken.
I should remind the Deputy that queries in relation to the status of individual Immigration cases may be made direct to INIS by Email using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. The service enables up-to-date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek this information through the more administratively expensive Parliamentary Questions process.
