Monday, 11 Sep 2017

Written Answers Nos. 568-587

Direct Provision Data

Questions (568)

John Lahart

Question:

568. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the longest duration persons remain in direct provision. [36938/17]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality

The following table details the duration of stay by applicants in state provided accommodation at the 31st August 2017. These figures are based on latest entry into state provided accommodation.

Less than 3 years	More than 3 years and less than 5 years	More than 5 years and less than 7 years	More than 7 years
3844	541	214	208

By comparison, the statistics for the duration of stay for applicants in state provided accommodation at the end of 2016 were as follows:

Less than 3 years	More than 3 years and less than 5 years	More than 5 years and less than 7 years	More than 7 years
3410	468	239	348

It should be noted that when the Working Group on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers examined the figures in 2015, there were 1,480 people in direct provision for 5 years or more. This figure is now 422 people. The vast majority of those cases that are still awaiting a final decision on their protection cannot be processed for various reasons such as pending judicial reviews. In effect, this means that all relevant people have received a first instance decision and for cases not fully resolved, there can be complex reasons why these cases have not been resolved.

The Deputy might be interested to know that information on these and other statistics on accommodation, application and other related matters are available on the website of the Reception & Integration Agency (RIA) - www.ria.gov.ie.

Direct Provision Data

Questions (569)

John Lahart

Question:

569. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of direct provision centres and facilities here. [36939/17]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality

All accommodation centres for those persons seeking protection, whether State-owned or privately owned, are operated by commercial companies. There are currently 32 accommodation centres being operated under the direct provision system. The information requested by the Deputy in relation to details of current centre location and contractor is set out below:

Contractors for Accommodation Centres

County	Centre	Address	Contractor	State or Privately Owner
Clare	Knockalisheen	Meelick	Campbell Catering t/a Aramark Ireland	State
Cork	Ashbourne House	Glounthaune	Barlow Properties	Private
	Kinsale Road	Cork City	Campbell Catering t/a Aramark Ireland	State
	Glenvera	Wellington Road	Bideau Ltd	Private
	Millstreet	Millstreet	Millstreet Equestrian Services	Private
	Clonakilty Lodge	Clonakilty	D and A Limited	Private
Dublin	The Towers	Ninth Lock Road, Clondalkin	Fazyard Limited	Private
	Georgian Court	77-79 Lower Gardiner Street	Old George Ltd	Private
	Hatch Hall	28 Lower Hatch Street	East Coast Catering (Ireland)	Private
	Balseskin	St. Margarets, Finglas, Dublin 11	East Coast Catering (Ireland)	Private
	Watergate House	11-14 Usher's Quay, Dublin 8	Maison Builders Ltd	Private
Galway	Eglinton	The Proms, Salthill	Maplestar Ltd	Private
	Great Western House	Eyre Square	Shaun Hennelly	Private
Kerry	Atlas House (Killarney)	Killarney	OFM Limited	State
	Atlas House (Tralee)	Tralee	OFM Limited	State
	Johnston Marina	Tralee	OFM Limited	State
	Park Lodge	Killarney	OFM Limited	State
Kildare	Eyrepowell	Newbridge	Peachport Ltd	Private
Laois	Montague	Emo	Fazyard Ltd	Private
Limerick	Hanratty's	Glentworth Street, Limerick	Birch Rentals Ltd	Private
	Mount Trenchard	Foynes	Baycaster Ltd	Private
Longford	Richmond Court	Richmond Street, Longford	Mint Horizon Ltd	Private
Louth	Carroll Village	Dundalk	East Coast Catering (Ireland)	Private
Mayo	The Old Convent	Ballyhaunis	Bridgestock	Private
Meath	Mosney	Mosney	Mosney PLC	Private
Monaghan	St. Patricks	Monaghan	Tattonward Ltd	Private
Sligo	Globe House	Chapel Hill	Bridgestock	Private
Waterford	Atlantic House	Tramore	Atlantic Blue Ltd	Private
	Ocean View	Tramore	Ocean View Accommodation Ltd	Private
	Birchwood	Ballytruckle Road	Stompool Ltd	Private
	Viking House	Coffee House Lane	Millstreet Equestrian Services	Private
Westmeath	Athlone	Athlone	Campbell Catering t/a Aramark Ireland	State

Since the start of 2016, 3 accommodation centres have been closed - The Staircase in Dublin, Bridgewater House in County Tipperary and Westbourne Lodge in County Limerick.

Direct Provision Data

Questions (570)

John Lahart

Question:

570. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the range of ages of persons in direct provision; and the provisions that are made for their health and educational well-being. [36940/17]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality

The Direct Provision system is a whole of Government system which delivers a wide range of State services to those seeking international protection in Ireland. These services include health services as provided by the HSE, education services as provided by primary and post-primary schools and, for adults, Education and Training Boards across the country. The Reception and Integration Agency, whose role is to oversee the provision of accommodation and ancillary services to asylum seekers, has a Health Unit, an Education Unit and a Child and Family Services Unit which can link vulnerable and at risk persons with the appropriate services. It is the role of these units to act as conduits between residents, staff at accommodation centres, state agencies(including TUSLA and the HSE) and local schools.

The age breakdown of persons in direct provision accommodation is as follows:

Age	Females	Males	Totals
0 - 4 years	216	255	471
5 - 12 years	275	292	567
13 - 17 years	87	101	188
18 - 25 years	254	463	717
26 - 35 years	586	960	1546
36 - 45 years	347	583	930
46 - 55 years	101	181	282
66+ years	14	12	26
Totals	1927	2880	4807

Departmental Staff Data

Questions (571)

Brendan Howlin

Question:

571. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of political staff employed in his Department, including parliamentary assistants, secretarial assistants, special advisers, drivers and other relevant positions; the number of civil or public service staff seconded to work within his Department or constituency offices; the salaries and job titles of each such person; the duty or role of each, in each of the years 2015 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36957/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of political staff employed in my Department and the number of civil servants in Ministerial offices is set out in tabular form as requested. It should be noted that under the arrangements for the 32nd Dáil, information regarding the employment of Parliamentary Assistants and Secretarial Assistants is a matter for the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Arrangements for the staffing of Ministerial offices in my Department since 2015 have been in line with the relevant Department of Public Expenditure and Reform guidelines and Government Decision for the 31st and 32nd Dáil respectively. The table refers to the staffing levels for the Tánaiste and former Minister Frances Fitzgerald, the offices of former Minister of State, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, current Minister of State David Stanton and of course, my own office.

Mr. Pat Breen TD. is the Minister for State for Data Protection at my Department and the Department of the Taoiseach. He is also Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Employment and Social Protection with special responsibility for Trade, Employment Business and the EU Digital Market.

Mr. Finian McGrath T.D is the Minister of State with my Department with special responsibility for Disability issues. He is also Minister of State at the Departments of Social Protection and Health.

The staffing arrangements in respect of both Minister of State Breen (and his predecessor Minister of State Dara Murphy) and Minister of State McGrath are the responsibility of their respective parent Departments.

In addition to the political staff employed in my Department both the Minister and Minister of State have a serving civil servant assigned to each of them as a private secretary. These staff are not seconded to our offices but are assigned, along with other civil servants, as part of the Corporate Services function to the Ministerial offices to undertake the administrative duties in those offices and the numbers fall within the arrangements referred to earlier.

Staffing as of January 2015 Frances Fitzgerald T.D. (31st Dáil

Post	Salary Scale
Special Advisor (100%)	PO Standard Scale (Non-PPC)
Special Advisor (50%)	PO Standard Scale (PPC)
Special Advisor (50%)	PO Standard Scale (PPC)
Personal Secretary (100%)	Personal Secretary Scale (PPC)
Personal Secretary (100%)	Personal Secretary Scale (PPC)
Personal Assistant	Personal Assistant Scale (PPC)

Staffing as of January 2015 Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (31st Dáil)

Post	Salary Scale
Personal Assistant (100%)	Personal Assistant Scale (PPC)
Personal Secretary (100%)	Personal Secretary Scale (PPC)
Civilian Driver (50%)	Civilian Driver Scale (PPC)
Civilian Driver (50%)	Civilian Driver Scale (PPC)

Staffing as of May 2016 Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald T.D, (32nd Dáil)*

Post	Salary Scale
Special Advisor (100%)	PO Higher Scale (Non-PPC)
Special Advisor (100%)	PO Standard Scale (PPC)
Special Advisor (100%)	PO Standard Scale (PPC)

* Specific sanction for an additional Special Advisor post was received in light of Minister Fitzgerald’s appointment as Tánaiste

Minister of State at Department of Justice & Equality David Stanton August 2017

Post	Salary Scale
Civilian Driver (50%)	Civilian Driver Scale (PPC)
Civilian Driver (50%)	Civilian Driver Scale (PPC)

Minister for Justice & Equality Charlie Flanagan August 2017

Post	Salary Scale
Special Advisor	PO Standard Scale (PPC)
Special Advisor	PO Standard Scale (PPC)

*Two Garda Drivers are assigned to the Minister for Justice and Equality and are staff of An Garda Síochána

Leave to Remain

Questions (572)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

572. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding direct provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37051/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned has been granted leave to remain in the State for the period to 6 September 2018. This decision was conveyed in writing to the person concerned by letter dated 7 September 2017.

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.

Departmental Staff Data

Questions (573, 574)

Mary Lou McDonald

Question:

573. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of women and men respectively employed in his Department, in tabular form. [37074/17]

Mary Lou McDonald

Question:

574. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of men and women respectively in his Department that hold posts (details supplied). [37085/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I propose to take Questions Nos. 573 and 574 together.

I can inform the Deputy that there are 1,376 females officers and 947 male officers employed in my Department as of 21 August 2017.

As requested, the table below outlines the breakdown of staff at the grades (including analogous grades) of APO and above in my Department:

Salary Grade	Gender	Number
Secretary General	1 Male	1
Deputy Secretary General	2 Female 1 Male	3
Assistant Secretary	5 Female 9 Male	14
Principal Officer	31 Female 56 Male	87
Assistant Principal Officer	151 Female 126 Male	277

Residency Permits

Questions (575)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

575. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the residency status of a family (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37089/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

As the Deputy is aware, following the commencement of the International Protection Act 2015 on 31 December 2016, new arrangements for the investigation and determination of applications for international protection (refugee status and subsidiary protection) and cases involving permission to remain in the State have been introduced. Such applications will be processed, as part of a single application procedure, by a new International Protection Office (IPO) which has replaced the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC) from that date.

The staff of that Office (the Chief International Protection Officer and International Protection Officers) are also independent in the performance of their protection functions.

If an application for asylum or subsidiary protection has been made in the State, for confidentiality reasons it is not the practice to comment on such applications and the applicant should contact the International Protection Office directly either by email to [e-mail], by telephone to the IPO Customer Service Centre at 01 6028008 or in writing to Customer Service Centre, International Protection Office, 79-83 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2.

For your information, the Chief International Protection Officer, following consultation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published a statement on the Prioritisation of Applications for International Protection under the International Protection Act 2015 on 27 February 2017 which is available on the website of the International Protection Office (www.ipo.gov.ie ).

Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service Administration

Questions (576)

Jack Chambers

Question:

576. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will ensure the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) is properly resourced to enable it to process applications in a timely fashion; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some units in INIS currently have year long processing backlogs (details supplied); if his attention has been further drawn to the distress caused by such delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37114/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

Staff of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department are deployed across a wide range of activities including the broad areas of international protection and immigration processing, visa processing, citizenship, border management and policy areas of the organisation. In that context, the management of resources is kept under constant review having regard to business and operational requirements, and staff are deployed accordingly.

While INIS endeavours to have applications processed as quickly as possible, processing times may vary based on a number of factors such as the number of applications on hands, individual circumstances, the complexity of applications, whether further information is required, and the resources available. In that regard I should mention that applications across almost all of the main INIS processing areas continue to increase and this does present challenges for service delivery.

With regard to the application type referred to by the Deputy, I am informed that in many cases processing delays are usually associated with the need for additional documentation or where a detailed assessment of a case is required. I can also advise the Deputy that the practices and procedures have been and continue to be reviewed in order to reduce the time it takes to process an application, e.g. the introduction of new application forms and explanatory leaflets.

Immigration Status

Questions (577)

Seán Fleming

Question:

577. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding a proposal to remove a person (details supplied) from the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37144/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned was refused permission to remain in the state on the basis of his marriage to an EU Citizen.

On 18 April 2016, the person concerned was issued with a proposal to make a removal order in respect of him in accordance with the European Communities (Free Movement of persons) Regulations.

The person concerned, through his legal representative, submitted representations in accordance with Regulation 20 of the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2015. This request will be considered as soon as it is possible to do so.

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.

Immigration Status

Questions (578)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

578. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37145/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I have been informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service of my Department that the person concerned applied to EU Treaty Rights Unit to be treated as a Permitted Family Member of an EU Citizen based on their relationship to an EU Citizen on 1 November 2016.

Following a consideration of the file, the application was refused on 10 July 2017 as they had failed to meet the criteria laid out under the Free Movement of Persons Regulations 2015.

The person concerned requested a review of the decision on 28 July 2017 and this application is currently being processed. This review will be considered in due course.

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.

Immigration Status

Questions (579)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

579. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide a letter to a person (details supplied) which states that they are seeking asylum here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37171/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that a letter was issued to the person concerned on 11 August 2017 in relation to the renewal of their leave to remain.

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.

Fines Administration

Questions (580)

John McGuinness

Question:

580. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will authorise an independent audit of the prison system relative to the methodology used to calculate fines and warrants for prisoners who had served time in prison and were being released on payment of the fine imposed; the number of prisoners that were overcharged in the past due to the wrong calculation being made; the amount of overpayment in each case; if the overpayments in question will be refunded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37173/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

As outlined in response to Parliamentary No. 274 of 4 July, 2017, I am informed by the Irish Prison Service (IPS) that in 2016, 8,439 persons were committed to prison arising from non-payment of fines. For operational and capacity reasons, each person committed to prison for non-payment of fines is considered for temporary release (TR) in line with the Criminal Justice Act 1960, as amended. Factors considered in relation to this TR include the nature of the crime giving rise to the committal, the person’s criminal history (if any) and the accommodation capacity of individual prisons on the day.

For approximately 30 years prior to its cessation in 2010, it was a practice that persons committed to prison for non-payment of a fine could be released early upon payment of a portion of that fine. Broadly speaking, the matter of who was recommended to the Minister for temporary release in these circumstances was subject to the discretion of the Governor concerned and on the particular circumstances of the case. There was no standard approach to the operation of the system. The legislative basis relied upon for this was the Criminal Justice Act 1951, which allowed the Minister to mitigate punitive elements of a sentence handed down by the Courts. In 2010, the Irish Prison Service ended the practice of the granting of TR based on the payment or part payment of a fine imposed by the Courts based solely on the individual discretion of the prison Governor concerned.

Since 2010, persons sentenced to prison for non-payment of fines have had a number of options open to them, viz: (i) pay the fine in full; (ii) serve the sentence in full; (iii) be granted release only when the fine has been paid in full, through a combination of part payment of the fine and serving of the sentence imposed or (iv) be granted TR for operational reasons as outlined earlier - for example accommodation capacity in the prison.

In relation to option (iii), the IPS has standardised the system whereby a prisoner can be released early through a combination of part serving of the sentence and payment of a portion of the fine. The system is now estate-wide, automated and based on a standardised sliding scale. For example, setting aside the issue of remission, in circumstances where two days into a four-day sentence a prisoner seeks to pay a fine, he will be advised that as 50% of the sentence has been served, only 50% of the fine remains to be paid. The 'sliding scale' methodology used to determine how much of a fine can be considered 'paid' when a portion of the sentence has been served operates uniformly throughout the entire prison system and dispenses with the element of individual governor discretion practised prior to 2010. All monies collected as a result of fines paid by prisoners is lodged into an Imprest Account, is properly accounted for and then transferred to the Courts Service. In 2016 the amount involved was €29,864.72.

Needless to say, the extent of the original fine imposed is entirely a matter for the Courts and cannot be altered by the IPS. The IPS informs me that it is not aware that any prisoner or ex-prisoner is seeking a refund on the basis that the amount they paid on the sliding scale system explained above exceeded the fine determined by a Court. The issue of refunds therefore does not arise.

The IPS advise that, regardless of the fact that no-one has sought a refund, it has no information itself that any prisoner was overcharged on the system described above . This could only be definitively established if the individual file of every prisoner ever committed to prison on a fine, was manually checked to establish the amount of the fine imposed, the portion paid and the length of sentence served, in order to check whether any calculation error had ever occurred. For obvious reasons, this is impractical.

Due to the large volume of fines cases committed to prison on a yearly basis, any audit of the system would be a significant undertaking. With the lack of any specific evidence that persons were overcharged, I do not believe that an independent audit of the system is justified at this time.

Finally, I should mention that since the commencement of the Fines (Payment and Recovery) 2014 Act on 11 January 2016, where fines remain unpaid by the due date, the fined persons must be notified to return to court to enable the Judge to impose whatever sanction the court considers appropriate in default of payment. The options available to the Judge are as follows: attachment of earnings; recovery order; community service; or, if none of these options are appropriate, imprisonment.

Office of Public Works Properties

Questions (581)

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

581. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the carpark at the new courthouse in Drogheda will be available to the public on non-sitting days; the terms of agreement on the car park; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37175/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

As the Deputy will be aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings, is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and I am advised that there is no public parking available in front of the courthouse but on-street parking is available nearby and also car parks are available in the town. The Courts Service has informed me that the site in front of Drogheda Courthouse, which was provided by the Office of Public Works to the Courts Service to facilitate the construction of the new Courthouse, is in the process of being transferred back to the Office of Public Works. It is believed that the Office of Public Works will be entering into discussions with the Local Authority with a view to determining the future use of this area.

Immigration Status

Questions (582)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

582. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of a stamp 4 application in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37181/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that it has received a request for permission to remain in the State in respect of the person mentioned by the Deputy. This case is among a number of such cases that are currently being held by this Department. Consideration of this case is pending the outcome of the appeal to the Supreme Court of the Court of Appeal judgment in the Luximon v. Minister for Justice and Equality.

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.

Residency Permits

Questions (583)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

583. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the residency status with particular reference to stamp 4 in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37182/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that, in response to a notification pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), written representations have been submitted on behalf of the person concerned. These representations, together with all other information and documentation on file, will be fully considered, under Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and all other applicable legislation, in advance of a final decision being made.

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.

Visa Applications

Questions (584)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

584. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will reconsider a visa application in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37183/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned was refused a long-stay Join Family Visa on 3 October 2016, and was informed of their right to appeal the decision within 2 months.

I understand no appeal was submitted and no further applications have been made. If a new application is made, the applicant should bear in mind the original refusal reasons communicated to them and be in a position to address them in any subsequent application.

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.

In addition, applicants may themselves e-mail queries directly to [e-mail].

Residency Permits

Questions (585)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

585. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37184/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I have been informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service of my Department that the person concerned was approved for a Residence Card as a family member of an EU Citizen on 30 November 2011.

The Residence Card of the person concerned was subsequently revoked on 18 October 2016 as the EU Citizen had not resided in the State nor exercised rights in the State since 2014.

The person concerned requested a review of that decision on 08 November 2016 and this application is currently being processed. This review will be considered in due course.

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.

Residency Permits

Questions (586)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

586. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the residency status and when a decision will be reached in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37185/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned is the subject of a Deportation Order, made on 11th March 2005 following a comprehensive and thorough examination of her asylum claim and a detailed examination of the representations they submitted for consideration under Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended)

The person concerned, through her legal representative, has made a request to have that Deportation Order revoked, based on the provisions of Section 3 (11) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended). This request will be considered as soon as it is possible to do so. The Deputy might wish to note that the resulting decision will be to 'affirm' or to 'revoke' the existing Deportation Order.

The person again, through their legal representative, has also sought to be re-admitted to the asylum/protection process, pursuant to the provisions of Section 17 (7) of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) and the initial decision in this regard is currently under review. Once a final decision has been arrived at, it will be notified in writing. The Deputy might wish to note that the resulting decision in this instance will be to re-admit, or refuse to re-admit, the person concerned to the asylum/protection process.

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.

Visa Applications

Questions (587)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

587. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will reconsider a visa refusal to facilitate a family reunification in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37186/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the visa application referred to was refused on 6 February 2017. An appeal was subsequently made against this decision, and refused on 26 July 2017. This decision was communicated to the applicant.

No further applications have been made. If one is made, the applicant should bear in mind the original refusal reasons communicated to them and be in a position to address them.

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 INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.

In addition, applicants may themselves e-mail queries directly to INIS ([e-mail]).