Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 February 2024
1. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the changes that have been made to the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, INIS, Oireachtas email address, and if representations from TDs about immigration and asylum issues will still be acknowledged and processed. [8129/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI want to ask the Minister about the changes made recently to the INIS Oireachtas email address and whether any representations from TDs about immigration and asylum issues will be acknowledged and processed.
The simple answer is that the service will continue to engage. The service has operated since 2008 to assist Oireachtas Members to make representations on behalf of their constituents in respect of individual immigration applications. Since its establishment, the service has dealt with almost 80,000 requests. Last year alone, it answered more than 6,600 queries with more than 90% of these queries answered within three days. There is a dedicated team in my Department tasked with answering these queries.
The types of immigration queries that can be dealt with through the Oireachtas mail system include those specific to individual visa applications, citizenship applications, domestic residence applications and general immigration queries, for example, people seeking information on how to apply for certain types of permission.
It has always been the case, in line with the confidentiality provisions of the International Protection Act 2015, that queries relating to individual applications for international protection cannot be answered through this service. I am not sure whether colleagues know this. Specific answers on international protection cannot be given out. If an international protection applicant has a query in relation to their case, they can make direct contact with the International Protection Office, IPO, or the International Protection Appeals Tribunal, as appropriate. This will enable what they want, which is a full and comprehensive reply to be provided.
Last year, my Department conducted a review because we wanted to make sure the answers that people were getting were as comprehensive as possible. Approximately 30% or 40% of people responded. As part of the review, Members of the Oireachtas were surveyed and the results of this informed upgrades to the services that have now been implemented. This includes, where possible, making sure each answer is tailored to provide as specific information as we can to the person, as well as providing general information on the process that the person is in. Often, it was felt that the information was generic and needed to be more specific. Legalistic language has been removed, where possible, and we aim to provide information in plain English. This benefits us all. In the background, we have moved to a new operating system to allow easier identification of cases, swifter responses and better management reporting. To ensure this is working efficiently, later this year I will survey Members again on the service to ensure that it is meeting the needs of Members.
I thank the Minister for the reply. Are there plans to expand it so that other queries can be taken by Oireachtas Members? I noticed that some replies received from the system suggested that no representations would be considered were being sent to some TDs. Are there plans to expand this? For example, 100,000 migrant visas were issued in 2022. A large number are going through the system. It is often a cause of delay and anxiety for people when progress does not seem to have been made after questions have been asked and replied to. We need a fair and efficient system. Sometimes the system seems to be rather opaque, or there does not seem to be a system according to some of the people who have come into my office. The delays and the lack of enforcement have been exploited by some people with a different agenda. It is being used to exploit the frustration that people in communities feel with regard to GPs and housing
I thank the Deputy. A number of measures are in train to try to reduce any backlog. This is the concern that people have and why they come to us asking where their application is in the system. There are no plans to expand what is being responded to.
The only other option is international protection. Under the 2015 Act, we cannot identify or provide information to somebody other than the applicant that may identify someone as a person who has applied for international protection. This is because we know many people apply because they have left a country not only because of war but because of potential persecution. Identifying them might put them at risk. The rules are very clear on international protection. We are trying to move towards people being able to get these updates so they do not necessarily have to come to us. In this regard, the Department is working to develop a portal to allow all customers to log in to check the status of their respective applications. This is part of an overall modernisation programme that is happening in the Department to try to move everything from the immigration side online. It is quicker and more efficient. While it might not be good for us, it removes us as the middleman. We are trying to provide information.
With regard to the investment being made in the process, I understand that many more staff have been employed. Are there statistics? I know that the international protection accommodation services, IPAS, are quite good at publishing the statistics on those staying with it. Will there be regular reports from the IPO to the justice committee? More co-ordination is needed to ensure those who have applications turned down know what is happening with them. Will any extra efforts be made on co-ordination between social welfare, IPAS and the IPO in respect of what happens to people after their applications for leave to remain are exhausted?
We are continually investing in the overall immigration system. There has been a particular focus on the IPO because of the significant increase in the number of international protection applicants. We have almost doubled the number of staff. This has allowed us to improve the systems. I need to make sure that any of the other applications or routes do not suffer time-wise. This is why there is so much emphasis on moving to an online system. So many of these applications can be processed in a much quicker way without needing individuals to be able to do it. Additional funding of €34 million has been allocated to improve and expand the teams that we have. The more people we have the more we can spread across the system.
I assure the Deputy that the Department has always engaged with other Departments, be it social protection, integration or others, to make sure we have a joined-up system and a joined-up approach. If people should be in receipt of social welfare it is important that they do receive it once they have approval or a proper stamp, whatever that might be. Where this is not the case we need to make sure that people are not in any way misusing the system. There is ongoing engagement between the Departments in this regard. Overall a great deal of progress has been made over the years. I want this system to be as good as it can be for Members.
That is why I am going to survey people later this year to see if the changes have led to improvements. I hope that people will be more pleased with the level of detail they get on individual applications.
