Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 January 2016
184. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Justice and Equality to respond to issues raised by a person (details supplied) regarding the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service regulations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3531/16]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the notification placed on the INIS website www.inis.gov.ie in March of 2015 was aimed at clarifying and standardising the terms and conditions in respect of applications from retired foreign nationals seeking to come and live in Ireland. Prior to that more ad hoc arrangements were applied in this area.
Persons who were granted permission prior to the changes, however, are not affected and their permission can be renewed on the same terms as before provided they continue to comply with the terms of the permission and remain law abiding.
The relevant immigration stamp for retirees has been changed from Stamp 3 to Stamp 0 for new cases an immigration permission which is not intended to be reckonable for naturalisation or long term residence. This is consistent with the permission granted to the elderly dependent relatives of Irish citizens or others already entitled to live here. The key financial consideration in respect of a retiree is that the person must have sufficient and sustainable resources to ensure that they will not now or in the future become a burden on the State. In the case of retirees this was set at an income of €50,000 per person. They were also expected to have a lump sum sufficient to cater for unforeseen circumstances and sufficient otherwise to purchase some form of dwelling.
All States operate immigration controls for well established reasons of public policy, including considerations of an economic nature To this end policies regarding all non-nationals wishing to enter the State are kept under review and revised from time to time. I have in this context asked my officials to review current practices and requirements as applied to retirees wishing to come here. This will have regard to the situation in comparable jurisdictions and in particular the opportunities open to Irish retirees seeking residence overseas. The wider points made in the Deputy's correspondence will be considered as part of that process.
I have also asked the relevant official, to contact the persons in question to discuss the issues in their case.
