Written Answers Nos. 524-543
524. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice if she or any officials from her Department or from bodies under the aegis of her Department travelled to the Sharm el-Sheikh climate change conference; the number who travelled; the costs incurred; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57319/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that neither I nor any officials from my Department travelled to the Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Change Conference.
I am informed that one member of An Garda Síochána accompanied Ireland's delegation to the conference. Costs for flights and accommodation are not yet available.
525. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide the necessary details of the atypical work permit scheme for non-EEA fishers process to an organisation (details supplied) in order that a submission can be made on behalf of the migrant fishers on whose behalf this organisation has advocated and represented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57335/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra526. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Justice if a work permit can be obtained on the basis of a sponsoring employer outside of the fishing sector (details supplied), in light of the recent review of the atypical work permit scheme for non-EEA fishers and the facility, as set out on pages 3 and 59 of the review, for those currently enrolled in the scheme to have their current permission extended, pending an application to her Department for a work permit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57336/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 525 and 526 together.
I am pleased to say the review of the Atypical Working Scheme (AWS) for non-EEA fishers has been published on my Department's website. Details of how the AWS for SeaFishers currently operates is also available at Atypical Working Scheme - Immigration Service Delivery (irishimmigration.ie)
One of the key recommendations of the Review Group is that the employment of non-EEA crew in the Irish fishing fleet should be provided for under the Employment Permit system, instead of the existing Atypical Working Scheme.
My Department will not be responsible for the implementation of the recommendations made in the report. Queries regarding the implementation phase should be directed to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment who have assumed joint responsibility for the chairing of any group convened for such purpose.
Where an organisation wishes to make a submission in relation to access to the employment permit system for a particular sector or group of worker they must make that submission to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment Application forms - DETE (enterprise.gov.ie)
It is open to any employer to make an application for an employment permit in respect of any prospective employee, where that employment is not included on the ineligible list of occupations. Matters relating to employment permits do not fall within the remit of my Departments Immigration Service and are a matter for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Further information relating to employment permits can be found on that Department's website at; enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/employment-permit-eligibility/employment-permit-eligibility.
527. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Justice her views on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57337/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am pleased to say the review of the Atypical Working Scheme for non-EEA fishers has been published on my Department's website.
The key recommendation of the Review Group is that the employment of non-EEA crew in the Irish fishing fleet should be provided for under the Employment Permit system, instead of the existing Atypical Working Scheme.
On the basis that the recommendation is agreed and implemented, any fisher who is successful in obtaining an employment permit will then be able to register on a stamp 1 permission at their local immigration office. The transition to the employment-permit based system would entitle employment permit holding SeaFishers to transition to a Stamp 4 immigration permission and the wider entitlements offered by that permission.
Holders of Atypical Working Permits for SeaFishers can make an application for a certificate of naturalisation once they meet the residency criteria of five years legal residence in the State. Significant changes have been introduced for customers regarding the number of proofs required to establish their identity and residency as part of the Citizenship application process. A new scorecard was introduced to help applicants to complete their applications with greater certainty than before.
Notwithstanding this, I am aware that for some applicants the scorecard may not have adequately addressed their individual circumstances. In such cases, particularly for Non-EEA fishers who may not have access to utility bills or bank account statements, due to their individual living arrangements the Citizenship Division of my Department will accept a sworn affidavit, which could make up the deficit in points to enable the applicant to meet the necessary threshold for justified reasons.
This is a welcome development and builds on other innovative measures introduced in the citizenship application process, including the deployment of “Tara” the e-chat bot, e-payments, e-tax clearance and Gardaí e-vetting, and the removal of the requirement to provide the original passport when making an application, all of which have positively enhanced the applicant's experience.
528. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57339/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraBased on the information supplied by the Deputy, my Department cannot locate any application for the individual referred to. If the Deputy can provide further information, my Department would be happy to examine the matter further.
To be of some assistance, I have provided some general information below regarding the citizenship application process.
The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, and all applications are processed in line with the eligibility criteria as set out under the Act. Each application is assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act. A determination on whether an applicant satisfies the statutory criteria attendant to naturalisation can only be made after an application is received.
Applicants are required to have 5 years reckonable residence in the state prior to making an application, except for spouses of Irish nationals where the requirement is 3 years. In both cases, the final 12 months must be continuous residence in the State with up to 6 weeks allowed to facilitate foreign travel for business family or holiday purposes.
Detailed information on Irish citizenship and the naturalisation process, along with the relevant application forms and guidance notes, is available on my Department's Irish Immigration website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/.
529. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57340/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraBased on the information supplied by the Deputy, my Department cannot locate any application for the individual referred to. If the Deputy can provide further information, my Department would be happy to examine the matter further.
To be of some assistance, I have provided some general information below regarding the citizenship application process.
The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, and all applications are processed in line with the eligibility criteria as set out under the Act. Each application is assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act. A determination on whether an applicant satisfies the statutory criteria attendant to naturalisation can only be made after an application is received.
Applicants are required to have 5 years reckonable residence in the state prior to making an application, except for spouses of Irish nationals where the requirement is 3 years. In both cases, the final 12 months must be continuous residence in the State with up to 6 weeks allowed to facilitate foreign travel for business family or holiday purposes.
Detailed information on Irish citizenship and the naturalisation process, along with the relevant application forms and guidance notes, is available on my Department's Irish Immigration website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/.
530. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57341/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraBased on the information supplied by the Deputy, my Department cannot locate any application for the individual referred to. If the Deputy can provide further information, my Department would be happy to examine the matter further.
To be of some assistance, I have provided some general information below regarding the citizenship application process.
The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, and all applications are processed in line with the eligibility criteria as set out under the Act. Each application is assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act. A determination on whether an applicant satisfies the statutory criteria attendant to naturalisation can only be made after an application is received.
Applicants are required to have 5 years reckonable residence in the state prior to making an application, except for spouses of Irish nationals where the requirement is 3 years. In both cases, the final 12 months must be continuous residence in the State with up to 6 weeks allowed to facilitate foreign travel for business family or holiday purposes.
Detailed information on Irish citizenship and the naturalisation process, along with the relevant application forms and guidance notes, is available on my Department's Irish Immigration website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/.
531. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57342/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course.
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.
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.
Applications are processed in chronological order by date received. Due to the high volume of applications currently on hand, regrettably, median processing time is 19 months.
However, my Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.
In 2021, my Department issued 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest number of decisions made since 2015, and reflects positively the significant changes undertaken to date.
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: INISOireachtasMail@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 e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
532. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57343/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course.
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.
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.
Applications are processed in chronological order by date received. Due to the high volume of applications currently on hand, regrettably, the median time for processing applications is 19 months.
However, my Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.
In 2021, my Department issued 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest number of decisions made since 2015, and reflects positively the significant changes undertaken to date.
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: INISOireachtasMail@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 e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
533. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57345/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course.
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.
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.
Applications are processed in chronological order by date received. Due to the high volume of applications currently on hand, regrettably, median processing time is 19 months.
However, my Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.
In 2021, my Department issued 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest number of decisions made since 2015, and reflects positively the significant changes undertaken to date.
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: INISOireachtasMail@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 e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
534. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57346/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe citizenship application of the person referred to by the Deputy was approved and an invitation to the December ceremony will be issued in the coming days.
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.
Applications are processed in chronological order by date received. Due to the high volume of applications currently on hand, regrettably, the median time for processing applications is 19 months.
However, my Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.
In 2021, my Department issued 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest number of decisions made since 2015, and reflects positively the significant changes undertaken to date.
535. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57347/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course.
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.
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.
Applications are processed in chronological order by date received. Due to the high volume of applications currently on hand, regrettably, the median time for processing applications is 19 months.
However, my Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.
In 2021, my Department issued 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest number of decisions made since 2015, and reflects positively the significant changes undertaken to date.
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: INISOireachtasMail@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 e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
536. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57348/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course.
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.
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.
Applications are processed in chronological order by date received. Due to the high volume of applications currently on hand, regrettably, the median time for processing applications is 19 months.
However, my Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.
In 2021, my Department issued 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest number of decisions made since 2015, and reflects positively the significant changes undertaken to date.
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: INISOireachtasMail@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 e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
537. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57349/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course.
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.
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.
Applications are processed in chronological order by date received. Due to the high volume of applications currently on hand, regrettably, the median time for processing applications is 19 months.
However, my Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.
In 2021, my Department issued 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest number of decisions made since 2015, and reflects positively the significant changes undertaken to date.
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: INISOireachtasMail@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 e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
538. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57350/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course.
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.
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.
Applications are processed in chronological order by date received. Due to the high volume of applications currently on hand, regrettably, median processing time is 19 months.
However, my Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.
In 2021, my Department issued 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest number of decisions made since 2015, and reflects positively the significant changes undertaken to date.
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: INISOireachtasMail@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 e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
539. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57351/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course.
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.
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.
Applications are processed in chronological order by date received. Due to the high volume of applications currently on hand, regrettably, the median time for processing applications is 19 months.
However, my Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.
In 2021, my Department issued 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest number of decisions made since 2015, and reflects positively the significant changes undertaken to date.
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: INISOireachtasMail@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 e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
540. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57352/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course.
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.
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.
Applications are processed in chronological order by date received. Due to the high volume of applications currently on hand, regrettably, the median time for processing applications is 19 months.
However, my Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.
In 2021, my Department issued 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest number of decisions made since 2015, and reflects positively the significant changes undertaken to date.
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: INISOireachtasMail@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 e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
541. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57353/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course.
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.
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.
Applications are processed in chronological order by date received. Due to the high volume of applications currently on hand, regrettably, the median time for processing applications is 19 months.
However, my Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.
In 2021, my Department issued 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest number of decisions made since 2015, and reflects positively the significant changes undertaken to date.
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: INISOireachtasMail@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 e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
542. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57354/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed that the person referred to by the Deputy has no pending application for naturalisation with my Department. However, I can inform the Deputy that this person has made an application to the Afghan Admission Programme which was received by my Department on 11 March 2022.
My Department has received 528 applications to the Afghan Admission Programme. During the processing of these applications it has been found that in many cases applicants are missing important information, such as proof of identity and familial relationships. My Department is now in the process of writing out to proposers where the information provided was not sufficient to process their application, specifying the information that is still required. These applications continue to be assessed in a pragmatic and humanitarian manner with a view to issuing decisions soon. The Afghan Admissions Programme is an additional avenue open to the relatively small number of Afghan nationals living here to bring close family members to live here with them. There are of course a number of other options already in place through existing immigration programmes that have also been availed of by members of the Afghan community in Ireland since the beginning of August 2021 to October 2022, a total of 140 join family visas have been approved for Afghan nationals and 94 family reunification applications have been approved and the Department continues to also process these applications sympathetically.
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 (inisoireachtasmail@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.
543. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice her plans to restore financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, cuts to the fees of free legal aid service providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57359/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is responsible for the payment of legal fees to defence counsel under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, while barristers instructed by the State to prosecute in criminal cases are paid by the Director of Public Prosecution. The Deputy will appreciate that the Director of Public Prosecutions is independent in the performance of her functions and does not come within the remit of my Department.
It is important to clarify that responsibility for FEMPI fee restoration rests with my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. I understand that reversal of the pay adjustments referred to by the Deputy is under consideration in that Department.I also wish to reassure you that my Department has been engaging with all relevant stakeholders, including the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, to resolve this matter.As committed to in my Justice Plan 2022, I recently announced a comprehensive review of the Civil Legal Aid Scheme, for the first time in its more than 40-year history.The review will allow for an assessment of how flexible and responsive the scheme is to the needs of those it is intended to serve. A Review Group has been established, which as part of its work, will examine the modes of delivery of legal aid and advice provision under the scheme as well as the types of legal determination for which legal representation should be provided.The Review Group will make recommendations for the future of the Civil Legal Aid Scheme to effectively meet the priority legal needs of those of limited means, as well as recommendations related to the effective resourcing of the scheme to achieve this.The Review Group held its first meeting on 22 June 2022 and its work is now ongoing. On 14 November, I welcomed the opening of a consultation to seek the views of key stakeholders on how the Civil Legal Aid Scheme can be reformed. This call for submissions is the first element of the consultation and will remain open until 6 January 2023. It is an important opportunity for stakeholders to express their views and inform the Group’s thinking on the current scheme and its recommendations for the future.Full details of the submission process can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/consultation/a7aa6-stakeholder-consultation-on-the-review-of-the-civil-legal-aid-scheme/.
