Tuesday, 26 Jul 2022

Written Answers Nos. 1533-1548

Departmental Legal Services

Questions (1533)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

1533. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the amount spent by her Department on legal costs or legal services in each of the past ten years and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [40013/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I wish to advise the Deputy the amount spent by my Department on legal costs and legal services in each of the past ten years and to-date in 2022 is provided in the table below.

Year	Cost
2012	6,806,945
2013	6,427,552
2014	7,123,550
2015	6,742,915
2016	6,574,208
2017	6,686,202
2018	7,820,401
2019	7,612,402
2020	9,790,981
2021	11,457,935
2022 (to June 2022)	4,882,470

Departmental Expenditure

Questions (1534)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

1534. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the amount spent by her Department on the procurement of office space and furniture and office IT equipment in each of the past ten years and to date in 2022. [40031/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

It has not been possible to collate the information requested by the Deputy in the time allowed. I will write to the Deputy to provide this information as soon as it is available.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51

I refer to Parliamentary Question No. 1534 to my Department, which was for answer on 26 July 2022, and in which you requested the amount spent by my Department on the procurement of office space and furniture and office IT equipment in each of the past ten years and to date in 2022.

As you will recall, the information you requested could not be obtained in the time available and I undertook to contact you again. Please find a response to this question provided below for your consideration.

The amount spent by my Department on the procurement of office space and furniture and office IT equipment in each of the past ten years and to date in 2022 is set out in the table below.

	Furniture	Office Space*	IT Equipment	TOTAL
2012	26,442.37	691,080.00	114,435	831,957.37
2013	9,663.37	691,080.00	287,760	988,503.37
2014	3,092.29	691,080.00	514,158	1,208,330.29
2015	27,490.47	779,080.00	950,483	1,757,053.47
2016	106,696.08	723,080.00	625,668	1,455,444.08
2017	92,969.49	698,200.00	861,437	1,652,606.49
2018	44,617.50	871,065.00	585,303	1,500,985.50
2019	93,409.27	1,244,097.00	699,271	2,036,777.27
2020	50,031.94	1,417,247.00	675,022	2,142,300.94
2021	183,854.02	1,463,254.00	934,702	2,581,810.02
2022 to date	71,697.48	662,530.94	712,570	1,446,798.42

*The majority of properties occupied by my Department are owned or leased on its behalf by the Office of Public Works (OPW). Information in respect of buildings/office accommodation leased directly for office space for areas of my Department which are paid for from the Justice vote are included in the table.

Official Travel

Questions (1535)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

1535. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of times that she embarked on visits to foreign countries on behalf of the State since the formation of the Government; the geographical location of each visit; the number of days that she spent abroad on such trips; the dates upon which each trip took place; and the associated travel and accommodation costs which were incurred by her Department in relation to each trip in tabular form. [40049/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of visits to foreign countries I have taken on behalf of the State since the formation of the Government is provided in the table below.

Date	Location	Cost (€) incurred by the Department	Details	No. of days
1-2 December 2021	London	846.45	British Irish Intergovernmental Conference	2
9-10 December 2021	Brussels	688.51	Meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council	2
23-24 January 2022	London	893.51	Meeting with British Home Secretary and Justice Secretary	2
1-2 February 2022	Lille	717.90	JHA Council	2
27-28 February 2022	Brussels	1303.95	Emergency JHA Council	2
2-4 March 2022	Brussels	485.04	JHA Council	3
13-19 March 2022	USA	4915.64	Saint Patrick’s Day	7
28 March 2022	Brussels	1116.87	Emergency JHA	1
31 May - 1 June 2022	Rotterdam & Brussels	704.74	The Minister, Special Advisor and Private Secretary travelled from Rotterdam to Brussels for EU Child Sexual Abuse Conference. The Department did not pay for the Minister’s travel to Rotterdam.	2
8-10 June 2022	Luxembourg	502.82	JHA	3

An Garda Síochána

Questions (1536)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

1536. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of garda members in each roads policing unit by garda division, per year in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40099/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will appreciate, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. The allocation of Garda resources is made in light of identified operational demands. This includes decisions on the deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

I am assured, however, that Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of policing priorities and crime trends, to ensure their optimum use. I understand that it is a matter for the Divisional Chief Superintendent to determine the optimum distribution of duties among the personnel available to them, having regard to the profile of each area within the Division and its specific needs.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that the table below sets out the number of Gardaí attached to Roads Policing duty as of 31 December 2020, 31 December 2021 and 30 June 2022, the latest date for which figures are available.

DIVISION	2020	2021	30 June 2022
D.M.R. EAST	11	8	6
D.M.R. NORTH	17	17	14
D.M.R. NORTH CENTRAL	22	21	19
D.M.R. SOUTH	12	11	10
D.M.R. SOUTH CENTRAL	15	15	16
D.M.R. WEST	19	18	16
D.M.R. TRAFFIC	106	104	95
KILDARE	29	30	28
LAOIS / OFFALY	24	29	25
MEATH	18	19	20
WESTMEATH	18	18	18
WICKLOW	21	19	20
CAVAN / MONAGHAN	18	18	17
DONEGAL	22	31	27
LOUTH	25	25	25
SLIGO / LEITRIM	23	23	18
KILKENNY/CARLOW	22	24	24
TIPPERARY	30	29	26
WATERFORD	16	17	18
WEXFORD	23	23	23
CORK CITY	34	35	31
CORK NORTH	26	23	21
CORK WEST	23	22	22
KERRY	24	22	22
LIMERICK	31	32	32
CLARE	18	18	19
GALWAY	39	38	38
MAYO	26	26	25
ROSCOMMON / LONGFORD	21	21	21
TOTAL	733	736	696

In the interest of transparency, a detailed breakdown of Garda numbers is available on my Department’s website. This information is updated every month with the latest data provided by An Garda Síochána. Information on the Garda workforce, Garda staff and other Garda statistics are available from the following link: www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Garda_Workforce.

Visa Applications

Questions (1537)

Niall Collins

Question:

1537. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice the status of a visa application for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40100/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The visa application for the person referred to by the Deputy was received in the Manila office on 14 June 2022. The application was forwarded to Dublin for processing and received there on 27 June 2022 where it awaits examination and processing.

Long Stay Join Family visa applications are processed in accordance with the guidelines set out in my Department's Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification, which can be found at:

www.irishimmigration.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Policy-document-on-Non-EEA-family-reunification.pdf.

This Policy Document contains a stated business target that visa applications for family reunification for immediate family members of Irish citizens should be dealt with within six months of application. The business target reflects the detailed and often complex assessment that is required to be carried out in relation to applications for family reunification.

It is not possible to give a definitive date as to when this application will be finalised. All applications are processed in chronological order, based on date order of receipt. While every effort is made to process applications as soon as possible, processing times will vary having regard to the volume and complexity of applications, the possible need for my Department to investigate, inquire into, or seek further information, and the resources available.

Applicants are advised not to pay for airline or other travel tickets without having first been issued with a visa. The applicant will be notified as soon as a decision has been reached by a Visa Officer.

Processing times and decisions at the Dublin Visa Office can be checked at the following link, which is updated every Tuesday:www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility ([e-mail]) 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 is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Data Protection

Questions (1538)

Louise O'Reilly

Question:

1538. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Justice the estimated cost of increasing funding to the Data Protection Commissioner by 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% in tabular form. [40126/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The Government is committed to keeping the resourcing of the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) under on-going review to ensure that it has what it needs to effectively deliver on its objectives. There has been a year-on-year increase in funding for the DPC over the last five budgetary years reflecting the Government’s continued commitment to support it in the delivery of its national and international responsibilities. The DPC is funded under its own Vote as of 1 January 2020, the Commissioner being the Accounting Officer.

The DPC has received an allocation of €23.2 million under Budget 2022, a 22% increase on the €19.1 million that was allocated for 2021.

To assist the Deputy, the table below sets out the cost of the additional increases to its current funding allocation as requested.

% increase on 2022 Allocation	Cost differential from % increase	Revised Allocation from % increase
10%	€2,320,000	€25,520,000
15%	€3,480,000	€26,680,000
20%	€4,640,000	€27,840,000
25%	€5,800,000	€29,000,000

Asylum Seekers

Questions (1539)

Mattie McGrath

Question:

1539. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice the number of non-Ukrainians that have arrived in the State seeking asylum since January 2022; the nationality of all those seeking asylum in Ireland since January 2022; their mode of transport; the last country from which they travelled directly to enter the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40135/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The overall objective of my Department is to have recommendations made on international protection applications as soon as possible. This ensures that those who are found to be in need of protection from the State can receive it quickly and begin rebuilding their lives here with a sense of safety and security.

The Deputy may be aware that in recent months, the number of people claiming international protection has increased significantly, with 6,494 applications made so far this year to the end of June 2022. This is a 191% increase on the same period in 2019, the last year in which application numbers were not impacted by COVID-19. Of this number, a total of 300 applications were from Ukrainian nationals.

The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the breakdown of the nationality of applicants is provided in the table attached to this response. Unfortunately, my Department is unable to provide details on how applicants arrived in Ireland and from which destination, as statistics are not maintained in this manner by the International Protection Office.

I want to assure the Deputy that my Department continues to work to improve the international protection process and to reduce processing times, in line with the recommendations made by the Expert Advisory Group, led by Dr. Catherine Day, and the commitments in the Government's White Paper, published by my colleague, Minister Roderic O’Gorman.

However, the substantially higher number of applications currently being received, as outlined, will present a significant challenge in achieving this.

My Department is taking all possible steps to ensure we can process applications as quickly as possible. An end-to-end review of relevant international protection processes by a multidisciplinary team from my Department has been completed and published. New measures and procedures will continue to be put in place to improve efficiencies across all aspects of the protection process.

Since the introduction of new efficiency measures, in the first six months of this year we have been able to increase the number of first instance recommendations and permission to remain decisions being made by the IPO by almost 56%, when compared with the same period pre-Covid in 2019.

My Department will, by October 2022 at the latest, commence a review of progress made in reducing and improving processing times.

Applications for international protection January to June 2022

Nationality	Total
Georgia	1181
Somalia	938
Algeria	698
Zimbabwe	572
Nigeria	493
Afghanistan	349
Ukraine	300
South Africa	235
Botswana	184
Egypt	140
Pakistan	102
Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The	95
Albania	84
El Salvador	82
Bangladesh	72
Morocco	66
Syrian Arab Republic	56
Malawi	54
Sudan	51
Sierra Leone	47
Iraq	45
Brazil	44
Ethiopia	43
Iran (Islamic Republic Of)	27
Russian Federation	26
Turkey	23
Ghana	22
Swaziland	22
Palestinian Territory, Occupied	21
Bolivia	20
India	20
Malaysia	20
Nicaragua	19
Uganda	19
Angola	18
Jordan	18
Cameroon	17
Eritrea	17
Kenya	17
Lebanon	15
Mauritius	12
Tunisia	12
Venezuela	12
Belarus	11
Nepal	11
Viet Nam	11
Yemen	11
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya	9
Saudi Arabia	9
Togo	9
Kuwait	8
Guatemala	7
United States Of America	6
Others*	94
Total	6494

*Where the number of applications for individual countries is low (less than 6), a breakdown is not provided. This is for reasons of confidentiality, as provided for under section 26 of the International Protection Act 2015.

Asylum Seekers

Questions (1540)

Mattie McGrath

Question:

1540. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice the current policy of the State whereby someone arrives in the State seeking asylum but has travelled from a safe country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40136/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

Under Section 72 of the International Protection Act 2015, a country may only be designated as a safe country of origin where satisfied that, on the basis of the legal situation, the application of the law within a democratic system and the general political circumstances, it can be shown that there:

- is generally and consistently no persecution;

- no torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; and

- no threat by reason of indiscriminate violence in situations of international or internal armed conflict.

In making the assessment, it must be taken into account, among other things, the extent to which protection is provided against persecution or mistreatment by:

- The relevant laws and regulations of the country and the manner in which they are applied.

- The observance of the rights and freedoms laid down in specified European and International Conventions.

- Respect for the principle of non-refoulement in accordance with the Geneva Convention.

- Provision for a system of effective remedies against violation of those rights and freedoms.

The assessment must be based on a range of sources of information, including from other EU Member States, the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Council of Europe and other international organisations as appropriate.

My Department draws from the relevant published reports of a range of bodies in this regard, which provide information on the state of play in the country under review. If an applicant for international protection is from a country designated as a safe country of origin, their application will still receive a full consideration on its merits by the International Protection Office of my Department. Regardless of an applicant’s country of origin, each applicant for international protection is carefully interviewed and each case is individually assessed by experienced caseworkers.

Under section 72 of the International Protection Act 2015, and the International Protection Act 2015 (Safe Countries of Origin) Order 2018 (Statutory Instrument no 121 of 2018), the following countries were designated as safe countries of origin with effect from 16 April 2018:

- Albania;

- Bosnia and Herzegovina;

- Georgia;

- Kosovo;

- Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of);

- Montenegro;

- Serbia; and

- South Africa.

If the recommendation of an International Protection Officer is that the applicant should be given neither a refugee declaration nor a subsidiary protection declaration and includes the finding that they are from a safe country of origin, an appeal can be lodged in writing within 10 working days to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT). Unless the IPAT considers it is not in the interests of justice to do so, it shall make its decision in relation to the appeal without holding an oral hearing.

Finally, the Deputy may wish to be aware that work is underway in my Department on the establishment of an accelerated decision-making process for international protection applicants from safe countries of origin.

Asylum Applications

Questions (1541)

Mattie McGrath

Question:

1541. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice the current timeframe for decisions on applications for asylum in the State; the number of asylum seekers currently in the State; the numbers waiting for decision and length of time waiting for decision; the number of asylum seekers who have had their application refused but who remain in the State; the number of asylum seekers who have appealed a decision to refuse permission to stay; the average length of time for an appeal; the numbers of asylum seekers who have been refused permission to stay and have had an appeal rejected but remain in the State; the steps being taken to speed up the process; the levels of payments being made to those who have been refused permission to stay and have had an appeal rejected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40137/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The overall objective of my Department is to have recommendations made on international protection applications as soon as possible. This ensures that those who are found to be in need of protection from the State can receive it quickly and begin rebuilding their lives here with a sense of safety and security.

In total, there were 9,048 international protection applications on hand at the International Protection Office (IPO) of my Department at the end of June 2022 and 952 cases on hand with the Ministerial Decisions Unit of my Department. There were 716 cases on hand with the Permission to Review (PTR) unit of the IPO. There were 796 appeals pending at the end of June 2022.

The table below sets out the figures requested by the Deputy with regard to applications on hand with the IPO.

Less than 6 months	6,209
Between 6 and 12 months	1,308
Between 12 and 24 months	605
Between 24 and 60 months	926

The Deputy may be aware that in recent months, the number of people claiming international protection has increased significantly, with 6,494 applications made so far this year to the end of June 2022. This is a 191% increase on the same period in 2019, the last year in which application numbers were not impacted by COVID-19.

Notwithstanding the very large increase in the number of applications, the median processing time for all international protection cases processed to completion by the IPO in Quarter 2 2022 was 22 months. The median processing times for prioritised applications processed in Q2 2022 was 10 months. All cases processed to completion by the Permission to Remain Review Unit in Quarter 2 2022 was 12.5 months. All cases processed to completion by the Ministerial Decisions Unit in Quarter 2 2022 was 4 days. Median processing times for appeals completed in Quarter 2 2022 was 12 months.

It is not possible for my Department to provide the data requested by the Deputy with regard to the number of international protection applicants currently in the State. There are no routine exit checks on people leaving the State, including people in the international protection process. Some applicants may leave the State without notifying my Department and decide not to continue with their application. People refused international protection and permission to remain are expected to leave the State, following fair procedure and allowing for all available avenues for appeal.

I can assure the Deputy that my Department continues to work to improve the international protection process and to reduce processing times, in line with the recommendations made by the Expert Advisory Group, led by Dr. Catherine Day, and the commitments in the Government's White Paper, published by my colleague, Minister Roderic O’Gorman.

However, the substantially higher number of applications currently being received, as outlined, will present a significant challenge in achieving this.

My Department is taking all possible steps to ensure we can process applications as quickly as possible. An end-to-end review of relevant international protection processes by a multidisciplinary team from my Department has been completed and published. New measures and procedures will continue to be put in place to improve efficiencies across all aspects of the protection process.

My Department will, by October 2022 at the latest, commence a review of progress made in reducing and improving processing times.

Payments to applicants in the international protection process are a matter for the Department of Social Protection, which administers the daily expenses allowance (DEA) paid to applicants who reside in accommodation provided by the IPAS (International Protection Accommodation Service) of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The current weekly rates of payment are €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child.

An Garda Síochána

Questions (1542, 1552, 1553)

Paul Murphy

Question:

1542. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if the inquest jury in the case of a person (details supplied) was empanelled by An Garda Síochána; the actions that are being taken to ensure that members of the gardaí were investigated or were involved in some capacity in the events surrounding deaths are not empanelled on the inquest jury. [40140/22]

Paul Murphy

Question:

1552. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if the inquest jury in the case of a person (details supplied) was empanelled by An Garda Síochána; and the actions that have been taken to ensure that in cases in which members of An Garda Síochána were investigated or were involved in some capacity in the events surrounding deaths that they play no role in the empanelment process for inquest juries. [40263/22]

Paul Murphy

Question:

1553. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of inquest juries that GSOC members have empanelled; and if they always use random selection from the electoral register to do this. [40264/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1542, 1552 and 1553 together.

Coroners are independent, quasi-judicial office holders whose core function is to investigate sudden and unexplained deaths so that a death certificate can be issued. The exercise of these statutory powers by a Coroner during an inquest is entirely a matter for the relevant Coroner. My Department does not have a role in directing the work of coroners or in individual death investigation cases. Furthermore, no statistics are maintained by my Department on how inquest juries are assembled.

A Coroner has a general power to hold an inquest with or without a jury; this power is subject to section 40 of the Coroners Act 1962 (“the Act”) as amended, which sets out certain circumstances whereby a jury at an inquest is mandatory.

Section 43 provides for both An Garda Síochána and, since the coming into effect of the Coroners (Amendment) Act 2019, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission on the request of the coroner to assemble the inquest jury.

In order to be of assistance, I have had enquires made and am informed by the Coroner Service that the inquest referred to by the Deputy, which concluded on 13th July 2007, was assembled by An Garda Síochána.

Question No. 1543 answered with Question No. 1508.

Question No. 1544 answered with Question No. 1508.

Family Reunification

Questions (1545)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

1545. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice the options available to an Afghan refugee living in Ireland to expedite their family’s reunification application given that their family is in increased danger day-by-day; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40157/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I am very conscious of the plight faced by the Afghan people following the collapse of the former Afghan government and the takeover by the Taliban, that has further fuelled the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

In response to the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, my Department remains focused on processing applications for family reunification made under all admission avenues, including the Afghan Admissions Programme for family members of Afghan nationals living in Ireland. A total of 528 applications have been received under the Programme. These applications are currently being assessed with a view to issuing decisions in the coming months.

In addition, since the beginning of August 2021, a total of 135 join family visas have been approved for Afghan nationals and 77 family reunification applications have been approved. Anyone that wishes to make an application for a visa to join a family member already living in Ireland, can do so online at: www.visas.inis.gov.ie/avats/OnlineHome.aspx. Eligible family members are generally dependent family members, including spouses, civil partners and children under the age of 18. Those wishing to apply to bring an elderly dependent to live with them in Ireland under a Stamp 0 permission can find further information at: www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-join-family-in-ireland/joining-a-non-eea-non-swiss-national/dependent-elderly-relative/.

A significant number of Afghan people have also been allocated places under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP), which is under the remit of the Department of Children, Equality. Disability, Integration and Youth. My Department provides the visas to facilitate their travel to Ireland and almost 600 visa waiver letters have been issued to date.

I recognise that all applicants for family reunification would wish to have a decision on their application made without delay. However, the nature of the process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. I want to reassure the Deputy that all possible efforts are being made to bring family reunification applications, across the range of avenues open to applicants, to a swift conclusion.

Visa Applications

Questions (1546)

Chris Andrews

Question:

1546. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Justice if her Department will assist in the delays with visa processing at the Embassy of Ireland in Nigeria, in particular with the case of a person (details supplied). [40159/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The persons referred to by the Deputy created online Join Family visa applications on 17 June 2022. Once satisfied with their application, they should click “submit” and print a copy of their “Summary Form”. The summary form contains some of the information the applicant has entered. It will also contain instructions on what they are required to do next in order to submit their documentation and pay the relevant fee. The instructions will differ depending on which country they are applying from.The applicant should lodge the summary form together with the relevant fee and supporting documentation with the relevant Irish Embassy/Consulate/Visa Office as soon as possible. The applicant should make sure that the supporting documentation is as up to date as possible. Upon receipt of the necessary documentation and fee, the visa application will be processed further.In accordance with my Department's Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification, the processing of family reunification visa applications, such as these, may take 6 -12 months to determine from the date the documentation is received in the relevant Visa Office.

The Visa Office endeavours to have applications of this nature processed earlier than this, however, this is not always possible. In order to be fair to all applicants, as you will appreciate, applications are processed in order by date received in the Office.

Applicants are advised not to pay for airline or other travel tickets without having first been issued with a visa.Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility ([e-mail]), 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 is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Citizenship Applications

Questions (1547)

Martin Browne

Question:

1547. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Justice if supports are available for citizenship applicants who have limited means and are discouraged from applying due to the significant cost. [40164/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.

All of the fees payable under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, are kept under ongoing review by my Department. However, there are no current plans to amend the fees.

The fees to be paid by an applicant for a certificate of naturalisation are governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 569 of 2011). There is no provision in the Regulations for the discretionary waiver or reduction of fees, or for differing fees to apply to different nationalities or classes of applicant. The application fee of €175, is payable on application for a certificate of naturalisation and a certification fee is only payable on the issue of a certificate of naturalisation for successful applicants.

The standard certification fee is set at €950, while a reduced fee of €200 applies in the case of an application made on behalf of a minor or in certain cases where the application is made by a widow, widower or surviving civil partner of an Irish citizen. In the case of recognised refugees and stateless persons, there is no certification fee.

Question No. 1548 withdrawn.