Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
536. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice if an original birth certificate of a person (details supplied) that was supplied for visa purposes to the Irish Embassy in Abu Dhabi was returned to them as they claim that after repeated requests, they have not received it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35117/23]
View answerI can confirm that the Visa Office in Abu Dhabi did not receive an original birth cert for the person referred to. Where original documents such as marriage, birth or death certificates are received by a visa office they will be returned as soon as the application is dealt with.
I have been informed by the Visa Office in Abu Dhabi that the applicant concerned initially requested the return of original documents associated with their visa application. This was done once the applicant arranged for a courier to collect same from the Embassy, which is standard procedure.
The only original document included in the file was an Irish birth certificate which belonged to the applicant’s “Contact in Ireland” with a stated date of birth of 14/04/2000. This document was collected by DHL on 05 May 2023. Apart from this birth certificate there were no other original documents on file.
On the 25 May 2023 the Visa Office in Abu Dhabi received a request to return everything to the applicant which had not already been returned, including translations and copies.
This package of documentation, which does not include the birth cert referred to, was prepared on 30 May 2023 and is ready to be collected by courier.
As of close of business on 11 July 2023 it remains uncollected.
