James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A total of 284 appeals have been received. I agree with the Deputy in that we have all been calling for a regularisation scheme in the United States of America for some time.

It was important for this State to set out that it was prepared to do what it called on other states to do and bring in a regularisation scheme to help those people. The people who needed the regularisation scheme are on the margins, often working in the black market and being exploited. This is a scheme the Department of Justice can be proud of. I note the support across the Houses for the scheme when it was introduced. We were very particular that the application process should use simple and clear language. I dealt with some of it while the Minister, Deputy McEntee, was on maternity leave. I come from the legal profession but sent a clear message that nobody should need legal advice to do this. It needs to be simple and clear, and I think it was.

I cannot give a date for how long more it will take because each case is individual and many of the remaining cases are complex. We are also trying to give applicants every opportunity to rectify applications where there are problems. We are giving that time as needed.

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