Written Answers Nos. 138-146
138. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current residency status and potential eligibility for long-term residency and naturalisation for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 22; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42147/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that, in response to a notification pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), the person concerned has submitted written representations.
The position in the State of the person concerned will now be decided by reference to the provisions of Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and Section 5 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) on the prohibition of refoulement. All representations submitted will be fully considered in advance of a final decision being made.
The Deputy will appreciate that as the person concerned has no current permission to remain in the State, the issue of an application for a Certificate of Naturalisation does not arise at this time. Equally, given that the person concerned has not held an employment permit issued by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, they would not be in a position to meet the criteria applicable to an application for Long Term Residency.
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.
139. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality notwithstanding a person (details supplied) in County Meath's current Stamp 3 entitlement, if consideration will be given to upgrading this status to Stamp 4; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42148/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned was granted permission to remain in the State, on immigration Stamp 3 conditions, for the period to 4th November, 2015. The person concerned has had their permission to remain in the State renewed for a further three year period to 4th November, 2018.
The decision to grant such status was arrived at following the detailed consideration of the case of the person concerned, as well as the cases of all family members involved, under Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended). This decision would have had regard for all information and documentation on file at the time the decision was made.
The INIS would be prepared to review the case of the person concerned in circumstances where they presented documentary evidence to show that they had a concrete offer of paid employment available to them. The Deputy will appreciate that any such offer of paid employment must be on the prospective employer's headed paper; it must describe the specific position being offered; it must set out the proposed salary or salary scale; it must provide an indication that any such position is available immediately, is whole-time and is not subject to seasonal factors. Upon receipt of documentary evidence of the nature described, the INIS will undertake a review of the case of the person concerned.
There is no record of the person concerned being the parent of an Irish citizen child. Children born in the State after 1 January 2005 are not automatically entitled to Irish Citizenship.
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.
140. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will examine the case of a person (details supplied) in County Longford who currently holds Stamp 3 residency status and who is anxious to avail of job opportunities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42151/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that this person's application is currently being processed and correspondence will issue to this person in the coming days.
Queries in relation to the Status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been 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 Parliamentary Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
141. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current residency status and eligibility for naturalisation of a person (details supplied) in County Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42154/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person referred to is the subject of a Deportation Order made on 5 November 2013 and therefore has no entitlement to residency in the State. Judicial Review proceedings were issued on 10 December 2013 challenging the Deportation Order and accordingly, as the matter is sub judice I do not propose to comment further.
I should remind the Deputy that 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 through the more expensive Parliamentary Questions process.
142. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current residency status and eligibility for naturalisation of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42155/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned was initially granted permission to remain for two years on 24 January, 2006. This person's permission has been regularly renewed with the latest period due to expire 24 January 2017.
Officials in the Citizenship Division of the INIS inform me that there is no record of a current application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person concerned. A previous application for a certificate of naturalisation was refused for reasons provided to the person concerned in a letter issued to their legal representative on 18 September 2013.
It is open to any individual to lodge an application for citizenship if and when they are in a position to meet the statutory requirements as prescribed in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 as amended.
The Deputy may wish to note that queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been established specifically 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 INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
143. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons who made an application for protection more than five years ago and who are currently in the protection process, at the leave to remain stage or at the deportation stage, and the number of persons in each category that have outstanding judicial reviews by category. [42160/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that there are a number of different categories of applicant referred to in the Deputy's question, many of which overlap. For example, many of the persons referred to do not have judicial reviews taken in their own name but are awaiting the outcome of a judicial review taken in their child's name. The readily available statistics are being complied and will be provided to the Deputy in due course.
144. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will seek a report from the Garda Síochána as to the status of its investigation arising from a report made to it (details supplied) of the alleged theft of a number of pontoons from Mulroy Bay in County Donegal. [42180/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will appreciate that the conduct of criminal investigations is entirely a matter for An Garda Síochána and that likewise decisions on prosecutions are made independently by the DPP.
I am in formed by the Garda authorities that the matter referred to was the subject of a comprehensive investigation by An Garda Síochána. A file was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) who directed no prosecution in the matter and I understand that this decision was subsequently re-affirmed by the DPP. I am advised that the complainant has been informed accordingly.
145. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of arrests made for possession of drugs for personal use in Dublin in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42190/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested a report from the Garda authorities on the matter raised by the Deputy and I will be in contact again when that report is to hand.
146. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will address the specific concerns outlined in correspondence (details supplied) regarding Operation Thor; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42204/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advised that Deputy that the funding available to my Department in 2016 to support Crime Prevention Initiatives, including Community Alert, is €397,000. This represents a doubling of funding compared to 2015.
The precise allocation for the Community Alert programme in 2016 has yet to be finalised and I understand that proposals for next years programme activities are due to be submitted to my Department by Muintir na Tire very shortly.
I can also advise the Deputy that neither my Department nor An Garda Síochána provide direct funding for the setting up of Text Alert Schemes, or for the operation of local Community Alert Groups generally. Instead, funding is provided in relation to the employment and associated costs of the national Community Alert programme, including the employment of regional Development Officers. These Development Officers provide support to Community and Text Alert schemes and offer advice on how to establish new schemes. The long-standing view has been that this is the best use of the resources available to the Department to support effective community crime prevention actions, and I do not intend to depart from this approach in 2016.
As I have previously advised the Deputy my Department does not employ staff in relation to the Community Alert programme. Accordingly, the staffing and employment issues referred to are matters for Muintir na Tire and my Department does not have a role in this regard.
