Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his proposals for the establishment of a new one-stop shop for dealing with all immigration matters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10769/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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In March 2005 the Government approved the establishment on a non-statutory basis of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, INIS, as an executive office within the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. It is intended to provide a one stop shop approach to services relating to the admission of migrants. This decision provides a platform for the establishment of the service. It is expected to take up to a year for the new arrangements and structures to be put in place.

The service will incorporate the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform's asylum, immigration and citizenship functions and structures. The visa section of the Department of Foreign Affairs will transfer to the service in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Responsibility for the provision of visa services at diplomatic and consular missions abroad will remain with the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The service will aim to develop a cohesive system for the issuing of work permits and visas through a virtual link between the work permit system in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the INIS. The overall effectiveness of these arrangements will be reviewed within two years. The economic migration policy function will remain with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

The service will include a new immigrant integration unit to promote and co-ordinate social and organisational measures across the whole spectrum of Government, for the acceptance of lawful immigrants into Irish economic and cultural life.

The proposed new structure will have significant benefits from the point of view of customer service and the strengthening of the effectiveness and integrity of the State's immigration system, specifically a single contact point or one stop shop for applications for entry to the State combining the current work permit and visa application processes; a clearer system involving more streamlined processes; improved sharing of information in linked systems to simplify decision making; improved service times as applications do not have to be submitted to a number of organisations; and improved control and enforcement mechanisms.