Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 December 2016
82. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will establish the details of the case of a person (details supplied); the options open to the person to enable renewal of a passport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39435/16]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person referred to has been granted temporary permission to remain in the State following consideration of his or her case pursuant to Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999, as amended. The person concerned was refused an Irish travel document by decision dated 22nd November 2016 which issued to the person's legal representatives.
Irish travel documents are not issued for the purpose of supplementing the passport procurement processes of other countries whose citizens have decided to take up residency in Ireland and who are unable to renew their national passports. Countries that do not have a physical embassy presence in Ireland normally assist their citizens resident here through a variety of methods such as the provision of mobile consular clinics, provision of laissez-passer type documentation, etc via their nearest embassy with accreditation for Ireland.
The person referred to should further engage their own consular authorities to seek effective assistance in this matter given that they are resident in Ireland without a valid national passport.
The Deputy may wish to note that queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
