Written Answers Nos. 570-584
570. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in the determination of an application for residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42820/24]
View answerAn application for a Stamp 5 “Without Condition As To Time” endorsement from the person referred to by the Deputy was received on 02 May 2024 and continues to be processed by the Domestic Residence and Permissions Division of my Department.
Applications are processed in strict chronological order of receipt. The Division endeavours to process applications as quickly as possible. However, processing times may vary due to a number of factors such as the number of applications on hand, the complexity of applications, whether further information is required, and the resources available.
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 IMoireachtasMail@justice.ie, 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 cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
571. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 524 of 18 September 2024, if she has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities in order for this Parliamentary Question to be answered. [42901/24]
View answerI have contacted the Garda authorities for the information sought by the Deputy, regrettably this was not available on time. I will write to the Deputy again once the information is to hand.
572. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Justice to provide a detailed update on the current status of negotiations with a union (details supplied) regarding the potential loss of Civil Service status for clerical officers in An Garda Síochána, including whether an agreement has been reached; the terms of any such agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42913/24]
View answer573. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Justice the measures that are being taken to ensure that clerical officers who may lose their Civil Service status retain their mobility rights to transfer to other Government departments; the reason why the mobility status of clerical staff in An Garda Síochána was frozen for six months without union consultation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42914/24]
View answer574. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Justice the steps that are being taken to address the stress and uncertainty faced by clerical officers in An Garda Síochána due to the lack of communication from both a union (details supplied) and her Department; to ensure that transparent and timely updates are provided to these employees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42915/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 572 to 574, inclusive, together.
The Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 was signed into law by the President on 7 February 2024 and final preparations are underway in my Department to commence the Act, which I intend to do by way of Order on 16 December 2024.
The Act is largely based on the recommendations made in the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI). CoFPI recommended that Garda staff be recruited directly to An Garda Síochána, rather than the Civil Service. A central tenet of the CoFPI report was that An Garda Síochána should be seen and treated as a single organisation with a single workforce who share a common mission. It found that more integrated workforce structures were required to leverage the different skills and perspectives of Garda members and Garda staff and thereby to contribute to enhancing the capacity of the organisation to deliver better policing outcomes. It is for this reason that the Act provides that Garda staff will in future be recruited and appointed by the Garda Commissioner, rather than as civil servants. Senior members of Garda staff will be appointed by the Commissioner with the approval of Bord an Gharda Síochána.
During the passage of the Act through the Houses last year, I made an important amendment to the legislation to protect the civil servant status of existing Garda staff for a minimum two-year period after the Act is commenced. Any future proposed change in their status is subject to engagement with their recognised trade unions and staff associations and the consideration of any representations made by them. We have given a commitment to Fórsa and the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants (AHCPS) that this process of engagement for existing staff will begin as soon as the Act is commenced and that all proposals they may wish to make will be considered at that time.
A Working Group on New Garda Staff Terms and Conditions was established with an Independent Chair and its membership includes representatives from my Department, from An Garda Síochána and from Fórsa and AHCPS. The Group has worked to prepare and agree a new contract and associated policy documents for new staff that will be recruited to An Garda Síochána after the commencement of the 2024 Act as public servants, modelled on the same terms and conditions applicable to civil servants. The work of the group is nearing completion and I expect that the outcomes of the work will be communicated to Garda staff at the appropriate time.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the administration of An Garda Síochána, including matters relating to HR and mobility for Garda staff. As Minister, I have no role in these matters.
575. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the number of Gardaí in Cork, broken down by unit (for example, drugs policing, road traffic) in Cork city in September 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, respectively, in tabular form. [42983/24]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, a further record-breaking increase in funding for An Garda Síochána was allocated in Budget 2025. The allocation for An Garda Síochána now stands at almost €2.5 billion, and has increased by more than a quarter since 2020. This funding will support the recruitment of new Garda members, Garda staff and Garda Reserves, and reflects the Government’s commitment to supporting all parts of the organisation.
I am assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review, in the context of crime trends and policing priorities.
The Deputy may be interested to know that crime such as burglary, public order offences, and drugs offences have decreased across the County when 2023 is compared with 2019.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that at the end of June 2024, the latest date for which figures are available, there was a total of 1,269 Garda members assigned to Cork. Of this total, there were 667 Garda members assigned to Cork City Division, 322 to Cork North Division, and 280 to Cork West Division. This represents an increase of over 3% when compared to figures at the end of 2015 when there was a total of 1,225 Garda members assigned to Cork.
I am further advised that as of the same date there are 217 Garda staff working alongside Garda members in Cork, a total which has doubled since 2015. Garda staff carry out vital roles to increase availability of Gardaí to focus on front-line duties. The significant increase in Garda staff across the country in recent years has enabled 900 Gardaí to be freed up for front-line duties.
The table below outlines the total number of Garda members assigned to Cork as of the end of December 2020 to 2023, and as of 30 June 2024, the latest date for when figures are available this year.
|
DIVISION |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
Jun-24 |
|
CORK CITY |
723 |
730 |
709 |
699 |
667 |
|
CORK NORTH |
351 |
330 |
333 |
322 |
322 |
|
CORK WEST |
308 |
297 |
289 |
283 |
280 |
The table below outlines the total number of Roads Policing Gardaí assigned to Cork as of the end of December 2020 to 2023, and as of 30 June 2024, the latest date for when figures are available this year.
|
DIVISION |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
Jun-24 |
|
CORK CITY |
34 |
35 |
30 |
31 |
28 |
|
CORK NORTH |
26 |
23 |
21 |
21 |
21 |
|
CORK WEST |
23 |
22 |
22 |
20 |
21 |
The further table below outlines the number of Community Gardaí assigned to Cork as of the end of December 2020 to 2023, and as of 30 June 2024, the latest date for when figures are available this year.
|
Community Gardaí |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
Jun-24 |
|
Cork City |
38 |
40 |
36 |
36 |
19 |
|
Cork North |
7 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
|
Cork West |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
In relation to the number of members assigned to the Divisional Drugs Units, I am advised by the Garda authorities that this information cannot be shared under security grounds.
I am informed that it is the experience of the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), that such information is invaluable to local drug trafficking networks and can at times be taken into account when active in their respective criminal enterprises.
I am also informed by the Garda authorities that this information can facilitate the identification of all officers deployed full time on such duties, and in turn the work patterns of such officers.
In the interest of transparency, information in relation to the allocation of Garda members by Division is publicly available and can be found at the following link.
www.gov.ie/en/publication/bd777-an-garda-siochana-your-police-service-some-facts-and-figures/.
576. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of join family (spouse of Irish citizen and category B) visa applications received by her Department in 2021, 2022 and 2023, broken down by the number of applications still awaiting a response, and nationality of applicants. [42989/24]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that over 123,000 visa applications were received in the first seven months of 2024. This reflects an increase of 20%, compared to the same period in 2023, with over 21,000 additional applications received.
The vast majority of visa applications are determined in a matter of weeks. However, some applications, in particular those to join family members here, can take considerably longer. I understand that extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants. I want to assure anyone who has an application for a join family visa that my Department is doing everything possible to progress applications as quickly as possible.
It is important to recall these applications are screening processes, designed to establish that the person has a legitimate reason to come to Ireland prior to travel. Verifying an application is an important part of our immigration system and the checks involved can take time to complete.
Processing times for these applications are influenced by a number of factors. The time it can take varies depending on the type and complexity of application; individual circumstances; and, crucially, the quality and completeness of the application lodged.
I am acutely aware join family applications, are very important for the persons impacted and I am committed to improving the service my Department provides. In recent weeks, I have assigned additional resources and staff to my Department’s visa division which will I expect will reduce the waiting times for family applications in the coming months.
The tables below outline the number of Join Family visa applications for spouses of Irish nationals and Join Family visa applications for spouses of Non-EEA nationals received by my Department in 2021, 2022 and 2023, the number of applications still awaiting a decision, and the top thirteen nationalities of applicants for these visa types.
Please note that data regarding Join Family visa applications for spouses of Non-EEA Nationals is not collated in a manner which distinguishes between Category A and Category B sponsors detailed in my Department's Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification. The below figures do not include applications made by spouses of UK nationals.
Table one: Number of Join Family spouse of Irish national and Join Family spouse ofNon-EEA national visa applications received in 2021, 2022, and 2023 :
|
Year |
Join family spouse of Irish citizen |
Join family spouse of Non-EEA national |
|
2021 |
818 |
5,010 |
|
2022 |
1,057 |
8,234 |
|
2023 |
1,084 |
8,177 |
*Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.Table two: Number of Join Family spouse of Irish national and Join Family spouse of Non-EEA national visa applications received in 2021, 2022, and 2023, which are awaiting a decision as of 18 October 2024:
|
Year |
Join family spouse of Irish national |
Join Family spouse of Non-EEA national |
|
2021 |
9 |
20 |
|
2022 |
282 |
437 |
|
2023 |
961 |
5,273 |
*Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing. Table three: Top thirteen nationalities of applicants for Join Family Spouse of Irish national visas in 2021, 2022, and 2023:
|
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
Pakistan |
Pakistan |
Pakistan |
|
India |
Philippines |
Nigeria |
|
Nigeria |
India |
India |
|
Philippines |
Nigeria |
Philippines |
|
Thailand |
Bangladesh |
Bangladesh |
|
South Africa |
Thailand |
People's Republic of China |
|
Afghanistan |
People's Republic of China |
Thailand |
|
People's Republic of China |
Russian Federation |
Afghanistan |
|
Türkiye |
Egypt |
Russian Federation |
|
Morocco |
Türkiye |
Türkiye |
|
Bangladesh |
Syrian Arab Republic |
Sudan |
|
Russian Federation |
Morocco |
Egypt |
|
Ukraine |
Algeria |
Morocco |
Table four: Top thirteen nationalities of applicants for Join Family spouse of Non-EEA national visas in 2021, 2022, and 2023:
|
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
India |
India |
India |
|
Pakistan |
Pakistan |
Pakistan |
|
Philippines |
Russian Federation |
Philippines |
|
Nigeria |
Philippines |
Nigeria |
|
Zimbabwe |
Nigeria |
Zimbabwe |
|
Sudan |
Zimbabwe |
People's Republic of China |
|
Afghanistan |
Türkiye |
Türkiye |
|
Egypt |
Egypt |
Sudan |
|
Russian Federation |
Sudan |
Sri Lanka |
|
People's Republic of China |
People's Republic of China |
Egypt |
|
Türkiye |
Bangladesh |
Bangladesh |
|
South Africa |
Iran |
Russian Federation |
|
Ukraine |
Sri Lanka |
Afghanistan |
577. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the current status of the progression unit in Mountjoy prison; the number of cells in the unit in total; and the number of spaces which were allocated to non-progression unit prisoners, per month, for 2024. [42999/24]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that the Irish Prison Service must make the best use of all available prison capacity.
Sex offenders, both sentenced and remand, were previously accommodated at 4 locations – Midlands Prison, Arbour Hill Prison, Castlerea Prison and the Training Unit. However, due to capacity limitations at these locations and rising sex offender committals to prison, it was decided to consider other options within the prison estate to accommodate this cohort.
The Progression Unit of Mountjoy Prison is self-sufficient in relation to recreation, education, work and training and there is no requirement for those accommodated in this Unit to interact with or traverse to the main prison. For this reason, it was decided that the Progression Unit is a suitable location to accommodate sex offenders.
On 21 October 2024, there were 201 cells in the Progression Unit. Of these, 121 cells were occupied by people serving sentences for sex offences. Construction work is currently ongoing and it is expected that a further 52 cells will be available in this area of Mountjoy Prison from November 2024.
The process of accommodating sex offenders in the Progression Unit commenced during March 2024. The following table lists the number of sex offenders accommodated at the end of each month:
|
Month |
Number of Sex Offenders |
|
March |
31 |
|
April |
45 |
|
May |
57 |
|
June |
56 |
|
July |
65 |
|
August |
96 |
|
September |
111 |
I am informed that those who are currently accommodated in the Progression Unit, who are not serving their sentences for sex offences, will either remain in the Progression Unit or be moved to alternative suitable accommodation within the prison estate.
The Irish Prison Service is committed to making every effort to ensure that the transfers from the Progression Unit will not negatively impact on anyone in terms of how their sentences are being managed.
I am informed that all transfer decisions will be tailored according to the need and profile of each individual, and in all prisons they will have access to authorised programmes and structured activity. All who are on programmes of temporary release will be facilitated in continuing with such programmes.
578. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice when she plans to introduce regulations to facilitate an industry shared fraud database; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43015/24]
View answerFraud is a crime which can affect anybody but which particularly targets vulnerable people and businesses who may not be aware of or vigilant to the risks of online and telephone fraud in particular.
The proposed shared fraud information database for the banking sector is an initiative of the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI), who have engaged with my Department and with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner on the matter.
The purpose of the proposed database, which is to be run by a specialist provider on behalf of participating banks, is to help identify and prevent fraud against those banks and their customers through the systemised sharing of relevant information across the participating organisations. The system will operate according to a strict set of data matching rules to identify patterns of suspicious activity, with returned matches to be investigated on a case by case basis.
Access to the proposed database will be solely for the purposes of fraud investigation and prevention and will be limited to specially trained teams within participating banks.
The legal advice available to me is that the establishment of the database will necessitate enabling Regulations under the Data Protection Act 2018. My officials are currently engaging with the BPFI to scope out the operational parameters, oversight structures and safeguards that will need to be in place to support the effective and lawful operation of the database and to help inform the content of the Regulations.
More broadly, the Deputy will be aware that an all-of-Government implementation plan to progress the recommendations in the Hamilton Review into Economic Crime was published in 2022, setting out 22 actions to enhance enforcement and prevention capacity in this area.
To date, a number of actions have been completed and a number of others have been significantly advanced. Actions completed include:
• The establishment of the Advisory Council in May 2022 to co-ordinate and lead the delivery of a whole-of-government approach to economic crime and corruption and to serve as a ‘centre of excellence’ for research and analysis, awareness-raising, training and other best practice issues. It is chaired by former Director of Public Prosecutions James Hamilton
• The setting up in June 2021 of a forum of senior representatives to facilitate greater inter-agency co-ordination, collaboration and information sharing
• Engagement with the Judicial Council in relation to the development of judicial training for complex economic crime/corruption cases
• The Criminal Procedure Act 2021 which provided for pre-trial hearings to take place, in white-collar crimes and other complex cases making it less likely juries are sent away during trial, and therefore making the court process more efficient
• The Competition Amendment Act 2022 created a specific offence of bid rigging
• The Department of Justice has identified relevant bodies to progress the recommendation to introduce legislation to enable the collection, collation and analysis of all public procurement data to detect and deter bid-rigging
• Custody Regulations have been amended for authorised officers of the Competition and Consumer Protections Commission to attend at Garda interviews
• Budgetary increases for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
• A review of the resource capacity of the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) has been completed
• A review of Ethics in Public Office as set out in the Programme for Government with a view to strengthening the law relating to ethics in public office has been completed
There has also been significant progress to implement other recommendations of the Review, and these recommendations will be considered as the Multi-Annual Strategy to Combat Economic Crime and Corruption develops.
579. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice whether section 39 workers funded by her Department can expect to receive the pay increases negotiated at the Workplace Relations Commission with the HSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43070/24]
View answerThese organisations are funded by the Department of Health and implementation of any arrangements agreed with the HSE are a matter for the Department of Health and HSE.
580. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the dates on which it is expected to admit the next three batches of Garda trainee recruits to stage one of the training; and the number of Garda trainees attested to date in 2024. [43132/24]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), including the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff. As Minister, I play no role in the Garda training process.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that the next intake into the Garda College, Templemore is scheduled to commence training on 16 December 2024. Subsequent intakes will enter the College in 2025, and I have been informed that intakes are scheduled to commence training on 10 March and 9 June. These dates are provisional and subject to change.
In the interest of transparency, the number of Probationer Gardaí attested by year from 2015 is published on my Department's website from information supplied by An Garda Síochána, and is updated following each attestation ceremony.
This information can be viewed at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/7c2e6-probationer-gardai/.
I can inform the Deputy that, as of 20 September (the date of the latest attestation from Templemore), a total of 430 Probationer Gardaí have attested and been assigned to stations across the State this year.
581. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of Garda trainee applicants from the 2024 recruitment campaign that have commenced stage one of their training; and the number from the same recruitment campaign that are currently at vetting stage. [43133/24]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). As Minister, I have no role in the Garda recruitment process.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that two candidates from the 2024 Garda Recruit campaign have already commenced Stage 1 training in the latest intake in September 2024. As the Deputy will appreciate, the candidates from the 2024 competition are still at various stages in the recruitment process (involving physical competency testing, medical tests, substance misuse testing and vetting) and candidates are invited to take up a place on the next available intake into the Garda College as soon as they have passed all required elements.
For the Deputy's information, as of 11 October, 622 candidates are currently undergoing vetting from the 2024 recruitment campaign. A number of candidates from the 2024 recruitment campaign have successfully passed all elements and have been offered positions on the next intake to the Garda College in December 2024. Public Jobs have indicated that a further 600 candidates, from the 2024 Campaign, will be invited and interviewed before the end of 2024. Once Public Jobs have deemed those candidates successful and their names are submitted to An Garda Síochána, they will be invited to commence the vetting process.
582. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of vacant properties owned by her Department; and the number of which are houses or residential properties. [43148/24]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that my Department owns three properties that are currently vacant - a house on the land at Thornton Hall in Kilsallaghan, Co. Dublin, the now derelict former Cork Prison site and Westview House in Cork City.
The property in Cork is under the Probation Service and has been largely vacant since 2019 apart from some ad hoc use to conduct remote interviews for international protection.
The old Cork Prison site consists of a number of buildings including prisoner accommodation blocks, some of which date back to the 19th Century, a work and training area and staff mess. The facility closed in 2016 following the transfer of prisoners to a new facility built on a site adjacent to the former prison. The facility is in a very poor physical state and unsuitable for use in its current form. In late 2023, engineering consultants were engaged by Estates Directorate of the Irish Prison Service to carry out a detailed assessment of the old Cork Prison facility and to provide a feasibility report on the site with various options for its use. A report is expected to be completed later this year.
The 160 acre site at Thornton Hall was purchased by the State in January 2005 for a new prison development that did not proceed at that time. A new Working Group has been established to consider future prison capacity needs and to make recommendations on the numbers and types of prison capacity needed out to 2035. This group will also make recommendations on the future use of the site at Thornton Hall. An initial report from the Group is expected in November. The Department of Justice has made the Thornton Hall site available to other agencies while retaining some of the site for any future prison needs.
As the Deputy will be aware, a portion of the Thornton Hall site is currently being developed by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to accommodate people applying for International Protection. More information in relation to this project can be found at the following link - www.gov.ie/en/publication/3c8dc-thornton-hall/.
583. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Justice if she can provide figures for the number of community Gardaí in the Drogheda district in each of the years 2022, 2023 and 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43168/24]
View answerI am informed that there has been a significant increase in Gardaí in Drogheda in recent years. I can inform the Deputy that there are, as of June 2024, 142 Gardaí assigned to the Drogheda district. This is an increase of almost 26% since 2017.
Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána, and I very much support the concept that every Garda has a role to play in community policing.
The table below, which was provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of Community Gardaí assigned to the Drogheda District at the end of December 2022 and 2023, and on 30 June 2024, the latest date for which figures are available.
|
Community Garda |
2022 |
2023 |
Jun-24 |
|
Drogheda |
16 |
9 |
8 |
Please be advised that these figures are operational and may be subject to change.
The Drogheda Community Policing Team has had, and will continue to have, a significant role in addressing and delivering the goals of the Drogheda Implementation Plan. While numbers are down in comparison to 2022 (when the unit was awarded the ‘Best Not for Profit’ organisation in 2022 by the Drogheda and District Chamber, a significant achievement for An Garda Síochána and Community Policing in Drogheda) the unit size is still comparable to other large towns in Ireland.
The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Units and I as Minister have no direct role in the matter.
In the interest of transparency, information in relation to the allocation of Community Gardaí by Division is publicly available and can be found at the following link. I can also advise the Deputy that I have received the most recent figures for June from An Garda Síochána which have been published on the website.
www.gov.ie/en/publication/bd777-an-garda-siochana-your-police-service-some-facts-and-figures/.
As the Deputy may be aware, a member of An Garda Síochána is deemed to be a ‘Community Garda’ where that person is allocated to a Community Policing Team (CPT), and is responsible and accountable for applying a problem–solving approach to appropriate crime and policing quality-of-life issues in a specified geographic area through community partnership and engagement. Examples of this engagement are working with Neighbourhood Watch, Community Alert, or local business fora.
Like most Garda members, those assigned to CPTs have dual functions. In addition to their strategic roles in these teams, part of which requires them to regularly update their Community Engagement Superintendent on the policing needs of their community, they are also front-line members. It is also important to note that CPTs draw on all front-line Gardaí to carry out community policing.
Of course, Gardaí are not solely responsible for safety in our communities and this is what the new whole-of-Government Community Safety structure aims to address by bringing the relevant service providers and the Gardaí together to work with each community in a collaborative manner to focus on tackling the concerns identified and prioritised by the local community itself. The roll-out of Local Community Safety Partnerships across the country will be a core part of that.
584. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Justice if a decision has been made on an Irish visa application appeal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43255/24]
View answerThe visa application referred to by the Deputy was refused by the Visa Office in Abu Dhabi on 10 January 2024. The reasons for this decision were set out in the refusal letter sent to the applicant at that time. An appeal of this decision was received on 14 March 2024.
All visa applicants are advised that the onus is on them to provide as much information in support of their application as they feel is necessary. Guidelines in this regard are posted on the Immigration Service website. Applicants that carefully follow these guidelines have an improved prospect of receiving a positive decision at first instance.
I can advise the Deputy that in 2023, over 166,000 visa applications were submitted and approximately 140,000 people were granted visas to travel to Ireland. These figures are likely to be surpassed in 2024, with over 123,000 visa applications having been received in the first seven months of this year alone. This reflects an increase of 20%, compared to the same period in 2023, with over 21,000 additional applications received.
The vast majority of visa applications are determined in a matter of weeks. However, some applications, in particular those to join family members here, can take considerably longer.
It is important to recall these applications are screening processes, designed to establish that the person has a legitimate reason to come to Ireland prior to travel. Verifying an application is an important part of our immigration system and the checks involved can take time to complete.
Processing times for these applications are influenced by a number of factors. The time it can take varies depending on the type and complexity of application; individual circumstances; peak application periods; such as holidays or the start of the school year; and, crucially, the quality and completeness of the application lodged.
Visa applications and appeals are processed in the order in which they are received, to be fair to all applicants. However, due to the disparity in the complexity of these applications, the processing of some applications can take considerably longer than the overall average.
Processing times and decisions at the Overseas Visa Offices can be checked at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-offices/.
A decision will be issued to the applicant as soon as full consideration has been given by a Visa Appeals Officer.
I understand extended wait times can be frustrating. I want to assure anyone who is waiting on a decision that my Department is doing everything possible to progress applications as quickly as possible.
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: IMoireachtasmail@justice.ie, 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.
