Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 June 2015
546. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality to outline the current residency status in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Clare who has been living and working here consistently for eight years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21685/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the first named person arrived in the State on 04 November 2005 as a visitor. If it is the case that the individual in question has remained in the State since that time it would therefore seem that this person has remained here without permission. This is in breach of Section 5 (1) of the Immigration Act 2004 which provides that no non-Irish national may be in the State other than in accordance with the terms of any permission given to them by or on behalf of the Minister. Furthermore, Section 5(2) of the Act provides that a non Irish-national who is in the State in contravention of subsection (1) is for all purposes unlawfully present in the State.
It would seem that this person failed to meet the requirements of Section 9 of the Act of 2004 which sets out the obligations of non nationals in respect of registration and in particular to the requirements of Section 9(2)(b) of the Act of 2004.
A person who is found to be in breach of the requirements of the Immigration Act 2004 may have committed an offence. A person found guilty of such an offence is liable under section 13 of the Act of 2004 to a fine not exceeding €3,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
I have been advised that there is no record of the second named person and that if this person is currently in the State they are also residing illegally in the State.
The first and second named persons should now present themselves to their local Garda Station.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
