Tuesday, 17 Oct 2023

Written Answers Nos. 375-394

Courts Service

Questions (375)

Pa Daly

Question:

375. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice for a breakdown for the current wait times for an initial hearing in the District, Circuit, Central, High and Supreme Courts, in tabular form. [44630/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

Management of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution. The Courts Service operates under its own vote. It has its own Accounting Officer and lays its reports and accounts directly before the Oireachtas. The Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas: [e-mail].

Records of this nature is held by the Courts Service. Therefore, I have referred your question to the Courts Service for their direct reply.

Legislative Measures

Questions (376)

Carol Nolan

Question:

376. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice to outline if the expression transgender has been defined elsewhere in Irish law. [44638/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

It is not the role of the Minister for Justice to review or interpret legislation.

Ukraine War

Questions (377)

Carol Nolan

Question:

377. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 436 of 9 May 2023 and 521 of 23 May 2023, the reason if Ukrainian applicants for temporary protection have provided his Department with proof of their address in Ukraine as stated in her replies, her Department cannot provide a breakdown of the regions in Ukraine from where those applicants originated from; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44639/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

Temporary Protection in Ireland applies to the following groups of people who have had to flee Ukraine due to the invasion by Russia:

• Ukrainian nationals who were residing in Ukraine before 24 February 2022;

• Nationals of a third country (other than Ukraine) or a stateless person who would have benefited from international protection (for example: Refugee status) or an equivalent national protection status in Ukraine and were residing there before 24 February 2022;

• Family members of persons covered by a) and b), where their family already existed in Ukraine, prior to 24 February.

• Family members include a spouse or partner, unmarried minor children of either of them, and their other close dependent family relatives who have been living with them as part of the family unit before 24 February 2022.

• Temporary protection also applies to nationals of a third country (other than Ukraine) and stateless people who were residing in Ukraine before 24 February 2022 with a permanent Ukrainian residence permit, who cannot safely return to their country of origin.

Applicants must provide their identity documents and proof of residency in Ukraine prior to 24 February 2022 in order to meet the criteria for temporary protection. This proof can take many forms including; evidence of address, medical records, educational records, banking records etc. Although proof of residency is required, the individual addresses or regions in Ukraine in which applicants for temporary protection were resident are not recorded by my Department, and are not criteria relevant to the question of eligibility for temporary protection.

Prison Service

Questions (378)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

Question:

378. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons who have been remanded to the Irish Prison Service while awaiting removal from the State since January 2023 by month, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44672/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I am advised by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that the number of people who have been remanded to the Irish Prison Service while awaiting removal from the State since January 2023 is outlined in the table below.

In accordance with section 5 of the Immigration Act 1999, people can be detained in prescribed places for a maximum of 56 days for the purpose of facilitating their removal from the State, which must take place as soon as is practicable.

Committal Month	Number of Persons
Jan	14
Feb	8
Mar	3
Apr	7
May	9
Jun	13
Jul	10
Aug	4
Sep	16
Oct	5
Total	89

It should be noted that while the total number of people committed during this period was 89, two people were committed twice in different months.

An Garda Síochána

Questions (379)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

Question:

379. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 1231 of 11 September 2023, if she has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities to have this PQ answered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44685/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I understand that Parliamentary Question No.1231 of 11 September 2023 refers to the amount spent by An Garda Síochána on replacement of ballistic shields in the years of 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023.

As the Deputy is aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, which includes the purchase of Garda equipment. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.

However, to be of assistance I sought the information requested from the Garda authorities and have been advised that €23,595 (€19,500 + 21% VAT) was spent on the purchase of ballistic shields in 2021.

I am further advised that no ballistic shields were purchased in 2022 and to date in 2023.

However, I can inform the Deputy that Budget 2024 provides for the purchase of over 2,500 units of body armour for An Garda Síochána.

Departmental Correspondence

Questions (380)

Carol Nolan

Question:

380. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice if demonstrating public support for proscribed terrorist organisations through such activities as marches, displaying of banners, posters or online activity which affirms the goals of such organisations, is prohibited by law; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44759/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will appreciate the interpretation of the law is a matter for the Courts.

The Government is committed to the protection of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, consistent with the State's obligations in the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. There are boundaries to such protections and, accordingly, there are a range of provisions in legislation which may, depending on the circumstances, be relevant. These include relevant provisions of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Act 2015, the Offences Against the State Act 1939 and the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994.

It is a matter for An Garda Síochána in any particular circumstance to consider whether an offence may have occurred.

In addition, the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill is currently making its way through the Oireachtas. Once enacted, the Bill will update laws criminalising hate speech and legislate against hate crimes for the first time in Irish law thereby enabling further sanctions against individuals who foment hatred.

As regards measures directed against the dissemination of terrorist content online, under EU law online platforms are obliged to remove terrorist content upon receiving a removal order from Member States’ authorities, and to take measures when their platforms are adjudged to be exposed to terrorist content. An Garda Síochána acts as the competent authority in respect of issuing removal orders in this jurisdiction.

Departmental Data

Questions (381)

Carol Nolan

Question:

381. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice to provide a list of all organisations or groups designated as terrorist organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44760/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

Under the Offences Against the State Act 1939, the State's primary counter-terrorism legislation, there are two means by which an organisation may be proscribed as unlawful for the purposes of that Act.

Firstly, an organisation which engages in any of the activities specified in section 18 of the 1939 Act is declared to be an unlawful organisation for the purposes of that Act. Such activities include, inter alia , raising or maintaining or attempting to raise or maintain a military or armed force in contravention of the Constitution.

Secondly, an organisation may be declared to be unlawful by way of Government order pursuant to section 19(1) of the 1939 Act where the Government are of the opinion that the organisation concerned is an unlawful organisation and ought, in the public interest, to be suppressed.

Only two such orders were made to date in 1939 and 1983 which suppress, respectively, the organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army (also the IRA and Óglaigh na hÉireann) and the the organisation styling itself the Irish National Liberation Order (also the I.N.L.A.). It has been held by the Courts that labels such as "official", "real," or provisional" are immaterial to whether a group comes within the relevant order.

However, it is important to note that section 5 of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005, which was enacted with particular application to international terrorism, ensures that any organisation which engages in terrorist activity or terrorist-linked activity is an unlawful organisation within the meaning and for the purposes of the 1939 Act. This is the case whether the organisation is in or outside the State or whether the activity occurs in or outside the State. It is therefore unnecessary to designate an entity for this purpose.

The Deputy may also wish to be aware that since 2001, the European Union has established a list of persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts and subject to restrictive measures or sanctions. The list includes 13 persons and 21 groups and entities. The list of groups/entities is set out in Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1505.

Middle East

Questions (382)

Carol Nolan

Question:

382. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice if her Department has made any efforts to determine the presence of the Hamas terrorist organisation within the State, and also supporters of the Hamas terrorist organisation in Ireland who may be funding its operation internationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44761/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The Government attaches the highest priority to taking action to counter security threats including those relating to terrorism.

An Garda Síochána continues to put in place a robust framework of measures, both tactical and intelligence-based, to prevent and respond to such threats. The financing of terrorism is a particular area of operational focus. An Garda Síochána work very closely on an ongoing basis with their security and intelligence counterparts in other jurisdictions.

I would reiterate my condemnation of the recent brutal terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel. The deliberate and systematic targeting of civilians can never be justified.

Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organisation by the European Union since 2003.

As the Deputy will appreciate, it would be not be appropriate for me to comment further on the detail of security matters.

Legal Services Regulation

Questions (383)

Patrick Costello

Question:

383. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice when Part 15 Legal Services Regulatory Authority Act will be commenced; the reason it has not been commenced to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44763/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

Justice Plan 2023 commits to legislating for new pre-action protocols in respect of clinical negligence to encourage early resolution of allegations of negligence, promoting timely communications between parties and reducing the number of clinical negligence actions which are brought, and to including these enabling provisions in a civil law miscellaneous provisions Bill.

By way of background, Part 15 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 provides for the introduction of a pre-action protocol relating to clinical negligence actions. The pre-action protocol is to include requirements that must be complied with by the parties to clinical negligence actions before such actions are brought. The pre-action protocol will address issues such as access to medical records. In addition, Part 15 contains provisions which are incidental to the introduction of the pre-action protocol, including (in section 221) a limitation period of three years for an action claiming damages in respect of personal injuries in the case of a clinical negligence action.

In order to advance this and in keeping with the Justice Plan commitment, legislative amendments were included in the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022, to address a technical error in Part 15 of the Act. The Bill was enacted in July and the amendments allow the pre-action protocol to be developed and address the particular nature of settlements in respect of all clinical negligence cases.

Preparatory work for the introduction of a pre-action protocol for clinical negligence actions is ongoing between my Department and the Office of the Attorney General.

The proposed extension of the statute of limitations period can only occur after the introduction of the protocols. Further consideration will be required in relation to the commencement of section 221, taking into account the ongoing examination and implementation of these measures.

Immigration Status

Questions (384)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

384. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice if permission to remain can be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44788/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The person referred to by the Deputy has no valid immigration permission to remain in the State at present.

It is important that persons keep their immigration permission up to date if they wish to continue to reside in the State. Where a person remains resident in the State without an immigration permission, I encourage them to contact the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) or their local immigration office and to take all the appropriate steps to regularise their status.

Any application submitted should explain their current circumstances and future intentions in the State and provide any documentation they feel will support their application.

In all cases, people must engage with the authorities if they wish to be permitted to remain here legally.

The Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) examines each application to remain in the State on a case-by-case basis and has consistently urged anyone in this position to come forward if they wish to apply to regularise their immigration position in the State.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by email using the Oireachtas Mail facility at [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 Question process. The Deputy may consider using the email service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Family Reunification

Questions (385)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

385. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice whether family reunification in respect of four children can be provided in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44798/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The Family Reunification application for the person referred to by the Deputy has been received by my Department and continues to be processed at this time. All applications are processed in chronological order.

The speed in which a decision can be made largely depends on the quality of the application received. My Department will continue to engage with the applicant for any further information that may be required to assist with the processing of the application.

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.

Departmental Data

Questions (386)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

386. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of attempted murder and serious assault causing harm cases reported to Gardaí within the Kildare division in the years of 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form [44831/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will be aware, the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, is responsible for the compilation and publication of all crime statistics. The CSO produces these statistics using data recorded on An Garda Síochána’s PULSE system and makes regular releases, under reservation, in relation to various crime statistics. The CSO also continues to work with An Garda Síochána to address quality issues in the underlying sources used to compile the statistics.

Figures in respect of attempted murder and serious assault causing harm reported to Gardaí in the Kildare division, can be found on the CSO website at the link below. data.cso.ie/table/CJQ06

However to be of assistance I have compiled the information as requested.

Kildare Garda Division	Q1 2022	Q2 2022	Q3 2022	Q4 2022	Q1 2023	Q2 2023
Murder-Attempt	0	0	0	0	0	0
Assault causing harm, poisoning	66	66	51	47	39	49
Attempts/threats to murder, assaults, harassments and related offences	228	234	230	220	216	233

An Garda Síochána

Questions (387)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

387. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of Gardaí by rank attached to the Kildare divisional drugs unit as of 10 October 2023. [44832/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The unprecedented allocation of over €2 billion to An Garda Síochána in 2023 and 2024, up 23 per cent since 2020, demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring the Gardaí have provision for the equipment, technology, facilities, fleet and personnel it needs to carry out vital policing work.

As the Deputy will be aware, by law the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration of An Garda Síochána, including the distribution of Garda members between the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no role in these operational matters.

I am assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of policing priorities and crime trends, to ensure their optimum use.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that, as of the 31 August 2023, the latest date for when figures are available, there were 11 Garda members attached to the Kildare Divisional Drugs Unit, comprising of 2 Sergeants and 9 Gardaí. This represents an increase of over 57% since the end of December 2015 when there were 7 members assigned to the unit.

Prison Service

Questions (388)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

388. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the transport budget allocation to the Irish Prison Service in the years of 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [44833/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The Deputy will be aware that the Irish Prison Service (IPS) operates the Prison Service Escort Corp for the purpose of transporting people in the custody of the IPS who may be transferred between institutions, transported to and from court or to and from hospital. The Irish Prison Service fleet ranges from passenger vehicles to multi-occupancy cellular size vehicles.

I have been advised that the Irish Prison Service also maintains a range of small, medium and large commercial vehicles including refrigerated vehicles which cater for a wide range of uses, including use by Trades Officers for works within the prison grounds and for the movement of goods to supply Prison Stores.

Further, I am advised that the Irish Prison Service continuously review and examine the condition of the transport fleet across the Prison Estate to ensure vehicles are road worthy and safe for all users.

I can advise the Deputy that to date in 2023, the Irish Prison Service has a total fleet size of 289 vehicles ranging in registration from 1997 to 2023. I can further advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service purchased 36 of these vehicles in 2023 and that 33 of these were purchased for conversion to cellular transport. Fifteen of these vehicles were battery electric vehicles replacing older vehicles (15 years old +) and 3 were mild hybrid vehicles, purchased to support normal day-to-day operations in the prison environment, and to assist in the offset of the Irish Prison Services carbon footprint.

The overall cost of maintaining and servicing the Irish Prison Service fleet fluctuates due to the age and the unique specifications required within the fleet. It is also the case that fuel usage and costs have been fluctuating since March 2020, most notably from March 2022 due to the increased costs primarily attributed to the war in Ukraine. Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic separate escort vehicles were required in order to meet COVID-19 infection control guidelines when transporting prisoners which incurred additional costs.

Furthermore, as a COVID-19 collegiate response measure, the Irish Prison Service undertook an increased number of escorts for single remand cases on behalf of An Garda Síochána and this practice has continued. This has resulted in more single prisoner escorts being conducted by the Irish Prison Service to smaller courthouses not usually attended by the Irish Prison Service.

The specific information requested by the Deputy in tabular form is detailed below.

Transport Budget for the period 2021 - 2023

Year	Capital Budget	Maintenance Budget
2021	€ 250,000	€1,150,000
2022	€ 2,026,000	€1,431,000
2023	€ 2,500,000	€1,150,000

Irish Prisoners Abroad

Questions (389)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

389. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice the progress with regard to the application by a person (details supplied) to move from a prison in Britain home to Ireland, in order to be closer to his family, where their father is extremely ill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44889/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I am advised by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that no application has been received by them from the named person. My officials in the Irish Prison Service have consulted their counterparts in the United Kingdom who have confirmed that they have received an application from the named person and that they are currently processing this application for onward transfer to the Irish Prison Service. Once the application is received by the Irish Prison Service they will commence processing without delay.

The Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, implemented in Ireland by the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Acts 1995 to 2023, provides a mechanism whereby nationals of countries who are party to the Convention and who are serving sentences in Ireland may apply to serve the remainder of their sentences in their own countries. Similarly, Irish persons who are imprisoned overseas in Convention countries may apply to serve the remainder of their sentences in Ireland.

The Convention is open to states outside Europe and the Government supports the Council of Europe policy of encouraging states to ratify and operate the Convention. There are over sixty states operating the Convention at present.

The policy of the Convention, which is based on humanitarian considerations, is to overcome the difficulties posed for prisoners serving sentences in foreign jurisdictions, such as absence of contact with relatives and differences in languages and culture. In this regard, it has been long established Government policy that, whenever possible, prisoners should be permitted to serve their sentences close to their families.

The Convention provides a procedural framework for such transfers and seeks to provide a simple and relatively expeditious mechanism whereby the repatriation of sentenced persons may take place. The Convention sets out six conditions which must be fulfilled if a transfer is to be affected and these conditions are also set out in the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Acts1995 to 2023. It should be noted, however, that, even where all of the conditions are satisfied, there is no obligation on a state to consent to a transfer request. While the Convention does not require that the requested state give reasons for a refusal to agree to a transfer, the Irish legislation provides that, where practicable and where the interests of justice do not so preclude, a statement specifying the grounds for the refusal will be provided to the applicant or requesting state as appropriate.

The conditions which must be met are that:

• The sentenced person seeking a transfer is regarded as a national of the state to which the transfer is sought (the administering state);

• The order or judgement under which the sentenced person was sentenced is final;

• There is, at the time of the receipt of the request for transfer, at least six months of the sentence remaining to be served;

• The sentenced person consents to the transfer;

• The act or omission constituting the offence would also constitute an offence in the administering State; and

• Both states consent to the transfer.

Due to the complexity of the documentation required to affect a transfer between other States and Ireland, the process of information exchange can be time consuming.

Where a sentenced person is seeking to transfer into this country, legal confirmation is obtained from the State’s legal officers that the offence for which the sentence is being served would also constitute an offence under Irish law. When all parties have consented to a transfer, an application is made to the High Court for the issue of a warrant authorising the bringing of the sentence person into the State and authorising his or her detention to await the making of a committal order for the continued enforcement of the sentence in the Sate.

Every effort is made to process each application as quickly as possible, once the three-way consent between the two states and the sentenced person is forthcoming.

Court Sittings

Questions (390)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

390. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the policies that are in place regarding support for minors attending court sittings in circumstances other than when they are witnesses. [45039/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The Deputy will appreciate that the management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service. However, the Department supports the Courts Service in its work to create an environment where justice can be administered efficiently and accessibly for all citizens.

How a child is engaged with as part of a court case is a matter for the presiding judge. More generally, children are in the care of an adult representative while attending court and their supervision is the responsibility of that person.

Everyone who attends courts in Ireland presents with a different set of circumstances, a varying degree of understanding and a personalised set of needs. Courts and court buildings are general-purpose buildings that need to accommodate all types of Court proceedings regardless of who the participants are.

However, the Courts Service provides a number of facilities and services specifically intended to address needs of vulnerable witnesses and victims of crime. These include (but are not limited to):

Dedicated rooms: Victim waiting rooms are available in almost all refurbished courthouses and in a number of other courthouses, with rooms specially set aside for victims and vulnerable witnesses in all future projects to refurbish buildings.

Separate family law sittings in major court venues: Separate family law sittings take place at all major court venues – urgent cases, such as an application for a protection order, can still be heard at other times as well.

Video link facilities: Video link facilities are currently available in 136 courtrooms, 33 video witness rooms and 7 Jury assembly areas across 45 Court buildings around the country. This allows people to give evidence in a different room to where the court is being held.

Courts Service

Questions (391)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

391. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the engagement her Department have had with the Courts Service regarding the potential expansion or additional sittings outside of Dublin of specific children's courts. [45040/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy is aware, management of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998.

The Children Court deals with charges against children under circumstances and restrictions set out in law. The principal legislation in this regard is the Children Act 2001 and when the District Court is sitting in this capacity it is known as the Children Court.

While there is a separate physical Children Court in the Dublin Metropolitan area, sittings of the Children Court outside of that area may be held in courtrooms where ordinary sittings of the District Court are held but on different days and at different times. Restrictions on those who may be present and other relevant provisions particular to the circumstances of children apply at all such hearings.

I am aware that the Deputy’s question relates to a specific recommendation in the report of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC). This recommendation will be kept under ongoing review in the context of implementation of the youth justice strategy and courts modernisation generally.

Naturalisation Applications

Questions (392)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

392. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Justice when an application for naturalisation will be finalised (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45084/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department. Once the application process is completed and the applicant has been granted their Certificate of Naturalisation it is then open to them to make an application for an Irish Passport to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

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.

I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and my Department has been working hard to clear backlogs.

It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. However, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.

My Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be the freeing up of more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, improving service to our customers and reduction of waiting times.

I can advise the Deputy that the Citizenship Division of my Department intends to regularly communicate with all applicants on a quarterly basis into the future, to keep them updated on the status of their application.

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 at: [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 Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Naturalisation Applications

Questions (393)

Colm Burke

Question:

393. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice to confirm the status of an application for Irish citizenship by naturalisation (details supplied); when a decision is likely to be reached, given that it is over 29 months since the application was submitted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45086/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department.

I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and my Department has been working hard to clear backlogs.

It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. However, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.

My Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be the freeing up of more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, improving service to our customers and reduction of waiting times.

Finally, I can advise the Deputy that the Citizenship Division of my Department intends to regularly communicate with all applicants on a quarterly basis into the future, to keep them updated on the status of their application.

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 at: [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 Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Visa Applications

Questions (394)

Jim O'Callaghan

Question:

394. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the reason applicants for an Irish visa are requested to show bank statements of a person with whom they will be staying when they arrive in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45071/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I can advise the Deputy that any non-EEA national intending to visit the State must show that they have access to sufficient finance to support them in Ireland; visa required nationals must provide documentary evidence of this finance when applying for a visa. If an applicant is paying for their own visit they must include an up-to-date bank statement with their application. In such a situation there is no need for any financial information to be provided from the person with whom they will be staying in Ireland.If however, a friend or family member in Ireland is acting as a sponsor for the visit the applicant must provide an estimate of how much the sponsor will spend (in Euro) and what they will pay for (if appropriate); for example, the cost of airline tickets. Acting as a sponsor means assuming certain responsibility for the friend/family member they are seeking to bring to visit Ireland.

In line with most visa services worldwide the sponsor must submit documentary evidence of their finances to show that they can afford these costs. Any person sponsoring a Type C short stay visa application must submit the following original documents:

• An up-to-date bank statement

• Their 3 most recent payslips

• Their most recent tax return document, for example in Ireland, an employment detail summary from Revenue

• A letter from their employer that confirms they are employed.

Further details on the documents required can be found at the following link:

www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-visit-ireland/how-to-apply-for-a-short-stay-c-visit-tourist-visa/

The central concern in deciding on visa applications, as with all visa services worldwide, is to strike an appropriate balance between protecting the country's vital national interests by maintaining an effective immigration regime while at the same time facilitating travel for those who meet the criteria.