Written answers

Tuesday, 17 February 2004

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Departmental Staff

10:00 pm

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 458: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has satisfied himself that the number of staff in the immigration and citizenship division of his Department is adequate to meet the demand for its services; if his attention has been drawn to the continuing concerns of the public at the lengthy delays in processing applications to this division; the extra recruitment or restructuring he has made within his Department to cope with such demands; the latest statistics available to him on the average or typical waiting times in each of the categories of applications made to this division; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4670/04]

Photo of Michael McDowellMichael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The growth in the volume of business handled by the immigration and citizenship division of my Department has been well canvassed by me in replies to previous parliamentary questions, for example, Questions Nos. 400 and 401 of 10 February 2004, 849 of 27 January 2004, 396 of 18 November 2003, and 1190 of 30 September 2003.

I am satisfied that the division is capable of providing an adequate service to its customers. I am conscious of the fact that imaginative solutions are required in relation to the delivery of the resources necessary to improve the service given both the ever-increasing demand and the constraints which exist in the public finances. For that reason I introduced a provision at section 19 of the recently enacted Immigration Act 2004 the effect of which will be to empower the Minister to impose fees for a range of immigration related services. I hope, in so far as is practicable, to charge fees which not alone cover the cost of delivering the service but also cover the cost of necessary future development of the immigration system.

It is of relevance to point out to the Deputy that, while there are approximately 600 Civil Service staff assigned to immigration related functions in both my Department and its associated independent agencies, more than 70% of those staff are engaged full-time in activities associated with the processing of asylum claims or in the provision of support for asylum seekers. If the 32% year on year reduction in the numbers claiming asylum at the end of 2003 continues, it will in time free up resources which could be deployed in the improvement of mainstream immigration services.

While it is not possible to quantify every type of application dealt with by the immigration and citizenship division, the average processing time for the main categories are as follows: residency based on marriage to an Irish national — 12 months; naturalisation — 15 to 18 months; post nuptial citizenship — eight months; visa applications — three weeks; and family reunification applications — nine months.

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