Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 205: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in relation to the case of persons (details supplied); and if this matter will be dealt with as speedily as possible. [7265/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The persons in question, along with their then seven year old daughter, arrived in the State in February 1999 and made asylum applications. They had an Irish-born child in December 1999, withdrew their asylum applications and applied for permission to remain on the basis of their parentage of that child. Permission to reside in the State was granted solely on that basis.

The persons in question have no entitlement to Irish travel documents. They were previously issued with temporary travel documents as an exceptional measure which would have enabled them to travel to obtain their own passports. In June 2004 they sought a renewal of the travel documents, and they were advised to contact their nearest embassy or consulate with a view to obtaining their own national passports.

Travel documents are never intended to be issued as a substitute for passports from a person's own country of nationality. However, in exceptional circumstances they can be issued in the event that a person has been unreasonably refused a passport from their country of origin. In this case no documentary evidence has been produced in order to demonstrate that the persons concerned cannot obtain a passport from their country of origin. It is still open to the persons in question to provide the necessary documentation to allow the application for the travel documents to be reconsidered on the exceptional basis.