Written Answers Nos. 250-269
250. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons registering at the IPO in Dublin for each of the past five years and for each month this year; if she will provide a breakdown of the routes immigrants are taking into the country; and the proportion of persons who came through these routes in the past five years. [17164/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra251. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of asylum seekers who have come from Britain through the North of Ireland to the South of Ireland in the past five years and for each month this year. [17165/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 250 and 251 together.
The Department takes all necessary steps to manage the international protection process efficiently and effectively, while ensuring the integrity of those processes is maintained at all times.
The State is required to examine the application of anyone who presents at the borders of the State, or is in the State, and indicates that they wish to make an application for international protection. This is in accordance with our obligations under international and EU asylum law and the Government takes those commitments very seriously.
It must be noted that an applicant is not legally obliged to make an application for international protection at a designated port of entry. An applicant can lodge their initial application directly with the IPO after arrival in the State.
At the International Protection Office where full applications are lodged, information provided by applicants in support of their application, including documents concerning their identity, and route travelled to Ireland are recorded as part of the applicants file, but are not stored in a manner which allows detailed data to be extracted in the manner sought by the Deputy. It is also the case that this data is provided directly by the applicants and therefore it is not possible to verify, based on the fact that there are no border checks or border infrastructure between Northern Ireland and Ireland. Maintaining an open border was a priority for the Government during Brexit negotiations.
There is ongoing cooperation with the UK on both immigration and law enforcement matters. The Common Travel Area Forum (CTAF), established in 2011, acts as a steering committee for the ongoing work of protecting the CTA in relation to free movement of its citizens between both countries while at the same time ensuring that the CTA is not abused by those not entitled to avail of it. The Forum meets twice yearly but also meets in sub-group format to address particular elements of Ireland/UK co-operation, bringing together relevant subject matter expertise in various areas.
There is also very good co-operation at operational level between the Irish Border Management Unit (BMU), Garda National immigration Bureau (GNIB) and colleagues in the UK Border Force and Immigration Enforcement. This includes a number of ongoing operations, in co-operation with the UK, tackling abuses of the CTA by identifying illegal secondary movement patterns within the CTA and taking effective actions to disrupt abuse of those routes.
The tables below provides the breakdown of the number of international protection applications recorded between 2019 and 2024 by “place of application”. Information on how a person enters the country when not through a designated port, including by travelling over the land border, is not recorded.
IP Applications - Place of Application
|
Year of Application |
IPO |
Airports |
Ports |
Other |
Total |
|
Year of Application |
IPO |
Airports |
Ports |
Other |
Total |
|
2019 |
2,277 |
2,384 |
9 |
112 |
4,782 |
|
2020 |
1,239 |
284 |
4 |
39 |
1,566 |
|
2021 |
2,101 |
513 |
9 |
25 |
2,648 |
|
2022 |
8,782 |
4,795 |
35 |
33 |
13,645 |
|
2023 |
10,380 |
2,857 |
5 |
28 |
13,270 |
|
2024(to end of Mar) |
4,715 |
420 |
0 |
28 |
5,163 |
|
2024** |
IPO |
Airports |
Ports |
Other |
Total |
|
Jan |
1610 |
158 |
0 |
5 |
1773 |
|
Feb |
1428 |
137 |
0 |
4 |
1,569 |
|
Mar |
1677 |
125 |
0 |
19 |
1,821 |
|
Total |
4715 |
420 |
0 |
28 |
5,163 |
**Up to 31st March 2024
*Data provided is correct at time of issue and may be subject to data cleansing.
252. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Justice the reason the Firearms Consultative Panel, which had been established by her predecessor in 2015, has been discontinued; and if she will re-establish the panel to provide a much-needed, inclusive forum for consultation and engagement with key stakeholders. [17171/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, the Firearms Consultative Panel (FCP) was a non-statutory forum comprising various firearms interest groups. I understand that it last met in 2019 and I am informed that a breakdown in relations between some of the major firearms interest groups represented on the panel meant that it was not possible for meetings to take place with all groups represented, in effect putting the FCP into abeyance.
Since 2019, my Department has held meetings with individual firearms organisations upon request, and engaged with various firearms stakeholders in other ways. An Garda Síochána also meets with stakeholder organisations in respect of relevant matters.
As part of the consultation process around the work of the Firearms Expert Committee, Minister Browne met with a number of firearms organisations. One issue that was raised was the need for more regular and structured engagement between policymakers and firearms users and, notwithstanding the difficulties that arose in respect of the FCP, that is something my Department is interested in exploring further.
253. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of criminals who have changed their name by deed poll over the past ten years; her plans to stop sex offenders and violent criminals changing their names by deed poll; and the number of non-Irish citizens who have changed their name by deed poll over each of the past ten years. [17186/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, there is a robust framework of legislation in place to monitor and manage the risk posed by convicted sex offenders to the community and that it is kept under ongoing review.
Under the Sex Offenders Act 2001, convicted sex offenders have to notify Gardaí of their personal details, including their name and address for a period of time after conviction, up to life, in the case of more serious offenders.
On the concern raised as to the risk of sex offenders concealing their identities by changing their name by deed poll, An Garda Síochána have previously confirmed that such a situation is covered by the Sex Offenders Act 2001. It would be an offence for an offender to change their name and not notify the Gardaí. A change of name has no impact on any requirements or reporting obligations that may be in place under the Act.
If the offender fails to comply with the requirements then they are in breach of the Act and subject to investigation by An Garda Síochána.
The Sex Offenders (Amendment) Act 2023, which I commenced last year, strengthened our already robust system for monitoring sex offenders.
The Act reduced the notification period from seven to three days. A sex offender now has to notify An Garda Síochána –
• of their name and address within three days of leaving prison;
• of any change to their name or address within three days;
• if they are going to be outside the State for more than three days;
• if they are returning to the State having been outside it for three days;
• if they are at an address in the State for three days and that address has not been notified to AGS;
• or every 12 months if they had not notified within the previous 12 months
Other provisions include providing powers to the Garda Síochána to take fingerprints, palm-prints and photographs to confirm the identity of the person.
In relation to a change of name more generally, all Deed Polls enrolled in the High Court are included on a register and the last ten years of enrolled deed polls are publicly accessible on Courts.ie at: www.courts.ie/deed-poll
The page also contains information on how the process works and what documentation is required. Once the documentation is provided, the deed poll is enrolled.
In relation to the number of applications for a change of name received from third country nationals living in Ireland, I have requested this information from immigration service delivery and will respond directly to the Deputy once those figures are available. However, the Deputy will wish to note that those third country nationals who do change their name are directed to the high court to register their name change and so would be included in the register of enrolled deed polls.
254. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Justice if she has the power and discretion under statute to grant citizenship to a person in circumstances (details supplied); and the extent of her discretionary powers in this and other cases to grant citizenship. [17201/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person referred to by the Deputy appears to be eligible to become an Irish citizen through naturalisation, considering their reckonable residence in the state.
The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
Applicants are required to have 5 years reckonable residence in the State prior to making an application, except for spouses of Irish nationals and people granted International Protection where the requirement is 3 years. In all cases, the final 12 months must be continuous residence in the State with up to 70 days allowed to facilitate foreign travel for business family or holiday purposes.
It is open to anyone to make an application for citizenship once they meet the criteria as set out in the 1956 Act, as amended. Once an application is received, a determination on whether the applicant satisfies the statutory criteria for naturalisation will be made.
Detailed information on how to apply for naturalisation is available on my Department's Irish Immigration website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/
255. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the first- and full-year cost of paying Garda trainees a training allowance at the lowest point on the Garda pay scale for the duration of their training. [17241/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes all recruitment and training matters. As Minister I have no role in these matters.
I am committed to ensuring An Garda Síochána have the resources they need to deliver on their mission of 'Keep People Safe'. This is reflected in the unprecedented allocation of over €2.35 billion in Budget 2024 which is allowing for sustained investment in recruitment, equipment and technology. This includes increasing the training allowance by 66% to €305 per week to further support recruitment.
I have been advised by the Garda authorities that the lowest point of the current pay scale for a Garda member after attestation from the Garda College is €35,322 per annum. This equates to €676.93 per week. Garda Trainees currently undertake 35 weeks training at a rate of €305 per week training allowance.
Food and accommodation are provided by the Garda College. In addition, boot and uniform allowances of €7.32 per week are paid to both trainees and attested Garda currently.
To provide for 1 Garda to be trained at the rate of point 1 on the pay scale would require an estimated €26,594.93 per trainee. This figure is inclusive of Employer’s PRSI at 11.05%.
This figure does not include travel/subsistence or other allowances payable when a trainee is assigned to a training station.
256. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice to provide a breakdown of the current policy or legislative reviews taking place within her Department; and the actual and projected costs associated with each, in tabular form. [17242/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will understand, my Department is responsible for a wide range of policy and legislative matters in relation to civil and criminal justice and the immigration system and has responsibility for a large number of statutory and non-statutory bodies.
In the normal course of business the Department keeps all aspects of our policies and legislation under review in order to ensure that all policies, operations and legislation remain fit for purpose. This is supported through ongoing collaboration and consultation with stakeholders, including public representatives as well as the public.
In addition to this from time to time my Department conducts more formal reviews on specific issues.
A list of formal reviews currently underway is set out in the table below.
|
Review Title |
Cost To Date |
Projected Total Cost |
|
Review of the use of expert reports in private family law |
Nil |
Nil |
|
Review of the Civil Legal Aid Scheme |
€39, 982.88 |
€43,000 |
|
Review of the Discount Rate (personal injury) |
€14,760 |
€14,760 |
|
Review of Jury Service |
Nil |
Nil |
|
Review of the operation of Part 3 of the Personal Insolvency Acts |
Nil |
Nil |
|
Review of the operation of section 31(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018, as provided for by section 31(3) |
Nil |
Nil |
|
Review of the Department’s Family Reunification Policy |
Nil |
Nil |
|
Review of prison security arrangements |
€1,488 |
€29,500 |
|
Report on a review of enactments providing for the imposition of minimum sentences (s.29 of the Judicial Council Act 2019) |
Nil |
Nil |
|
Review of Part 4 of The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 |
€4,637.50 |
€4,637.50 |
|
Review of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020 |
Nil |
Nil |
257. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the costs associated with the establishment of the community safety innovation fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17245/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, in 2021 I announced the creation of the Community Safety Innovation Fund (CSIF) to reinvest proceeds of crime funds returned to the exchequer by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) back into communities, in order to fund innovative local projects aimed at building stronger, safer communities. The fund had an initial allocation of €2m in 2022, which increased to €3m in 2023, and the fund was further increased to €3.75m in Budget 2024.
Investing this money back into the community is a tangible way of showing that there can be a direct link between the activities of law enforcement and building stronger, safer communities. The Minister for Justice expects to launch the call for applications for CSIF 2024 later this year. The fund encourages and supports the development of innovative ways in which to improve community safety from those people who best understand the needs in their locality.
I can advise the Deputy that, because the establishment and launch of the CSIF involved the work of a number of different units within my Department, and was done as part of the broader work of the officials involved, it is not possible to give an exact figure for the cost of establishing the fund, as these costs cannot be separated from the general costs of running the units involved.
I can further advise the Deputy that in 2022, the CSIF paid out €1,623,392.60 to successful projects, and €2,862,478.68 in 2023.
258. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the cost of creating one IRP card in 2023. [17246/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 9 of the Immigration Act 2004 provides that a register of non-nationals who have permission to be in the State (in general for a period of 3 months or longer) shall be established and maintained by registration officers and also provides that a non-national is required to pay a fee to the registration officer for the issue of a registration certificate. This fee is set by regulations made by the Minister for Justice with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. It is common practice throughout Europe to charge a fee for immigration services.
The Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card provides the customer with a secure immigration document including individual biometrics indicators protected by a sophisticated encryption system and showing the holders’ immigration status in the State. This high quality secure document is easily recognisable for employers and Government agencies alike. It certifies that a person is legally registered with the Irish immigration authorities and provides details of the immigration permission held, for example a Stamp 1 or 4, etc. Once a person has an in-date IRP card, there is no requirement to apply for a re-entry visa when returning to the State after a short period abroad.
An applicant is exempted from the fee if they:
• Have refugee status
• Have subsidiary protection status
• Have leave to remain under Section 49 of the International Protection Act 2015
• Are under 18
• Are resident based on your marriage to an Irish citizen
• Are a family member of an EU citizen
The Registration Office of my Department also provides an online renewals portal that speeds up the renewal process and a customer service team that is available to support customers. The cost of registration has not increased since 2012; however, the fee structure is kept under ongoing review by my Department.
I can inform the Deputy that the standard registration fee of €300 payable by an applicant is designed to reflect the effort and cost, above and beyond the cost of producing the card itself, in processing registrations. This includes, among other things, the significant staffing costs incurred by my Department and An Garda Síochána, the costs associated with the public offices at which the activity is carried out and the costs of information technology associated with the registration system.
259. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the number of familicides or domestic homicides that have taken place in the past five years; and the estimated cost to her Department or any other organisation of reviewing the causes behind each incident of same. [17247/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. Unfortunately, the information was not received in time. I will contact the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.
260. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the current budget for the Family Law Legal Aid Panel. [17248/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Legal Aid Board is the statutory, independent body responsible for the provision of civil legal aid and advice to persons of modest means, in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 and the Civil Legal Aid Regulations 1996 to 2021.
The Board engages private solicitors to supplement the services provided by Board solicitors in certain areas of law on a case-by-case basis. These areas include District Court family law matters, Circuit Court judicial separation and divorce cases, international protection cases, and cases on foot of the Abhaile scheme. A priority service is provided by the Board in certain cases, including cases involving domestic violence, child abduction, applications by the State to take children into care or under supervision, and cases that have statutory time limits close to expiry.
I have been informed by the Board that the Family Law Legal Aid panels currently in place are as follows:
District Court Private Family Law: This panel covers matters in the District Court and on appeal to the Circuit Court under the Domestic Violence Act 2018, the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 and the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976. The budget for 2024 is €2,500,000.
Judicial Separation and Divorce: This panel covers judicial separation and divorce proceedings in the Circuit Court. A limited number of referrals are made to this panel each year. The budget for 2024 is €500,000.
Child Care: This panel covers representation of parents of children who are the subject of applications by the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) to be taken into the care or under the supervision of the Agency. The number of referrals to this panel is strictly limited. The budget for 2024 is €1,300,000.
261. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the projected cost of a doubling of Garda diversion schemes. [17249/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs) are community-based, multi-agency youth crime prevention initiatives which primarily seek to divert young people who have been, or are at risk of becoming, involved in anti-social or criminal behaviour. Youth Diversion Projects are run by community-based organisations and are a vital support to the statutory Garda Youth Diversion Programme.
A top priority for my department is the expansion and deepening of the services offered to young people by the Youth Diversion Projects, which are fully funded by my department. On average, the YDPs engage with between 3,500 and 4,000 young people across the State in any one year.
In Budget 2024, the funding allocated to Youth Justice Services increased by 10% to €33 million. This will facilitate an increase in the availability of YDP services in the evenings and at the weekends when many young people need them the most, as well as an increase in supports for families, interventions for typically hard-to-reach young people and early interventions for 8-11 year olds who may be at increased risk of becoming engaged in criminal activity.
As the Deputy may appreciate, the funding needs of individual YDPs differ based on a range of criteria, such as the geographical area in which the Project operates, the number of referrals to the YDP and the number of the 'hard to reach' cohort of these referrals, amongst others.
My Department offers funding appropriate to the needs of each YDP and as determined by standard budgetary processes. Funding fluctuates based upon the YDPs' determination of their needs against the available budget for Youth Justice services annually.
The current network of 99 YDPs is extensive, but we will continue to develop it further to ensure that every child who needs support is reached. Four new Youth Diversion Projects are in the process of rolling out services with a further two additional projects planned for introduction later this year.
Considerable progress has been made to extend the Youth Diversion Project network to ensure that the service is available in all locations throughout the State. This has been achieved by extending existing project catchment areas and the allocation of additional staff. There are a small number of areas where this approach would not be suitable and the establishment of new projects in these areas is being progressed as an alternative.
Catchment areas for projects are determined in consultation with local community groups, members of An Garda Síochána and other stakeholders on a case-by-case basis. As the YDPs have evolved organically since their inception, catchment areas vary depending on the project’s background and local needs. Consequently, it is not possible to provide a standard estimate of the cost of additional projects.
262. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the cost of a 10% increase in funding for legal aid. [17251/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Legal Aid Board is the statutory, independent body responsible for the provision of civil legal aid and advice to persons of modest means, in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 and the Civil Legal Aid Regulations 1996 to 2021.
The 1995 Act was amended by Section 54 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011 which gave the Board the additional responsibility of providing a family mediation service. Section 3(3) of the Act states that the Board shall, subject to the provisions of the Act, be independent in the exercise of its functions.
The Deputy may be aware that civil legal aid and advice is provided primarily through a network of law centres by solicitors employed by the Board. The Board operates a total of 34 full-time law centres and dedicated units along with three part-time centres, and three specialist legal offices. The Board also operates 19 family mediation centres. Eight of the law centres and family mediation offices are co-located.
I can confirm for the Deputy that funding allocated to the Legal Aid Board for 2024 amounts to €59,122,000. This is an increase of €6 million on the organisation’s funding allocation for 2023, which was set at €53,060,000.
263. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the cost of a 10% increase in Prison Service funding. [17252/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the Irish Prison Service (IPS) is a non-statutory executive agency of the Department of Justice responsible for the secure custody, care and rehabilitation of people serving a sentence in each of Ireland’s twelve prisons.
The IPS is the second largest agency in the criminal justice system, with a budget of €453m in 2024 and €422m in 2023. Overall, the 2024 IPS allocation is broken down as follows: Pay (€319m), Non-Pay (€97m) and Capital (€38m).
The Programme for Government commits to a range of penal reform measures that require substantial and ongoing modernisation of prison services and practices. This includes an enhanced focus on rehabilitation and reducing recidivism, assisting those in custody with mental health, addiction and other personal difficulties, and upgrading the prison estate.
264. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the cost to double investment in restorative justice programmes. [17253/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, restorative justice is a criminal justice process which has been shown, through mediation, to help victims recover from crime, reduce reoffending and save public resources. It is one of a suite of measures available to the criminal justice system.
It is delivered by the Probation Service, both pre and post-sentence; by An Garda Síochána within the Garda Youth Diversion Programme, and by Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) that receive referrals at specific points in the criminal justice process.
In October 2018, the Probation Service established a National Restorative Justice and Victim Services Unit, which provides support and training to Probation teams across the country. This Unit is located in the Probation Service Headquarters in Haymarket, Dublin 7 and comprises a small team including 1x Assistant Principal Probation Officer, 1x Senior Probation Officer and 1x Probation Officer.
The Unit provides leadership and support for the consistent and integrated provision of a range of restorative justice models including family/restorative conference, offender reparation panel, victim offender mediation and ‘bespoke’ restorative interventions. It also provides a central point of contact for an effective response to victim queries and requests.
The operating cost of the Restorative Justice & Victims Services Unit per year is approximately €234,000.
Alongside this and as part of Budget 2023, additional funding of circa. €65,000 was allocated to recruit an additional Restorative Justice Outreach project worker for the Northwest Region based in Tuam, Co. Galway. This project worker has been in place since last November. The project worker is assisting with the increasing demand for Restorative Justice interventions in the Northwest and is supplementing the work undertaken directly by Probation Officers regionally.
In addition to the direct support and training provided by the Restorative Justice and Victims Services Unit, the Probation Service currently provides €787,770 in funding to five community-based organisations to provide dedicated restorative justice programmes. These 5 programmes and the areas they provide services to are listed below:
• Restorative Justice Services - Dublin,
• Restorative Justice in the Community - Tipperary, Laois & Offaly,
• Le Chéile - Limerick,
• Cornmarket Project - Wexford and
• Tuam Community Training Centre - Galway, Sligo, and Roscommon.
Other Probation Service funded CBOs also use restorative approaches in their work with clients to promote respectful relationships and address the harm caused by their offending.
In 2023, Minister Browne published the Department’s policy paper ‘Promoting and supporting the provision of Restorative Justice at all stages of the criminal justice system’. The paper affirmed the Probation Service’s role in driving developments in this area and commits to providing dedicated funding to support expansion of restorative justice services.
The total budget allocated to the Probation Service for Services to Offenders for 2024 is €20,032,000, an increase of €1,500,000 in overall funding. €250,000 of the funding has been earmarked to further configure the network of CBOs in the delivery of enhanced restorative justice services and funding of €65,000 has already been provided to Restorative Justice in the Community to enable the expansion of Restorative Justice Services into the Midlands.
The Probation Service is currently in the process of finalising a 3-year Restorative Justice Action Plan to drive out the integration of Restorative Justice into Probation Service practice and to enable the expansion of Restorative Justice provision nationally.
265. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current residency status or entitlement to an Irish passport in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17259/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department.
A letter was issued to the person concerned from the Citizenship Division on 19 April 2022 regarding ongoing matters related to their application for naturalisation, whereby it was requested the applicant make direct contact with the Division. However, no return correspondence has been received as yet.
I can also advise that as the vetting disclosure on file with the Division is now out of date, a new vetting link will issue to the applicant in the coming days.
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.
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 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.
266. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current and expected residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17260/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person referred to by the Deputy holds a Stamp 4 immigration permission valid until 18 May 2025.
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.
267. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current and expected residency position in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17262/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department.
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.
I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and my Department has been working hard to clear backlogs.
My Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eVetting and online payments.
My Department has recently moved from paper to online based citizenship applications. This is one of a number of measures introduced in an effort to optimise the application process and enhance the overall customer service experience. As part of the new online process, customers are issued with an acknowledgment on submission of the online application. The forms provide a seamless application process and help guide applicants through what is required for an application.
In a little over two years the Citizenship Division of my Department has gone from processing around 12,000 applications a year to processing over 20,000 applications. This 66% increase in processing has been achieved through digitising and streamlining processes.
Finally, I can advise the Deputy that the Citizenship Division of my Department continues to communicate regularly with all applicants to keep them informed as to updates on processing times and arrangements.
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 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.
268. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in processing an application for family reunification in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17266/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Family Reunification application for the person referred to by the Deputy has been received by my Department and continues to be processed at this time. All applications are processed in chronological order.
I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and all applicants for Family Reunification would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. My Department will continue to engage with the applicant for any further information that may be required to assist with the processing of the application.
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 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.
269. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice how best a person (details supplied) should proceed to obtain stamp 4 from her current stamp 1 status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17270/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person referred to by the Deputy holds a Stamp 1 immigration permission valid until 9 November 2024.
It is open to the person concerned to apply to the Immigration Service of my Department for a change of immigration status if they meet the criteria for doing so.
Detailed information on how to change immigration permission is available on the Immigration Service website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/changing-your-immigration-permission/
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.
