Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 141: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if a visa extensification will be offered to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 8 to facilitate an ongoing legal issue with An Bord Altranais; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20534/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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There is no general policy operated by me to grant repeated extensions of permission to remain in the State to a non-EEA national on the sole basis that the person in question is the applicant in civil proceedings against a third party. It is not the case that such a person is precluded from pursuing such proceedings because he or she is no longer resident in the State.

No information has been supplied to me regarding the present stage of the ongoing proceedings or a likely conclusion date. Neither has information been supplied to me concerning the person's ongoing ability to maintain herself without recourse to public funds during that period. In the absence of such information I am not in a position to consider granting the extension of permission to remain to which the Deputy refers.

As I indicated in my previous reply to Parliamentary Question No. 358 on 26 April 2005, it is open to the person in question to apply for the appropriate visa to enter the State should she be required to give evidence in the context of any future High Court proceedings.