Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 March 2017
29. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will return the original birth certificates (details provided) submitted with asylum applications as these are now required for passport applications. [10809/17]
View answerOfficials of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department are seeking to resolve this issue and I will write to the Deputy shortly to update him on the matter.
The Deputy might note that queries in relation to 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 should 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.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A
I refer to Parliamentary Question No. 29 for answer on Thursday, 2nd March, 2017, in which you requested the return of original birth certificates submitted with asylum applications.
As you will recall, the information you requested could not be obtained in the time available, and I undertook to contact you again. The files relating to the person concerned have since been retrieved from my Department’s storage facility and they do not contain the documentation sought. I should add that in August and September 2016, the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department returned to the person concerned a significant amount of personal documentation that had been retained on file, although this did not include the birth certificates in question.
Certain documentation relevant to the request is available on the case file of the children’s other parent. However, in line with data protection requirements, the consent of the second parent to release the documentation would need to be obtained before it could be released to the first parent. Alternatively, the second parent can request the documentation from the INIS and it will be released to him or her directly.
I hope this information is of assistance.
