Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 221: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the residential status in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12732/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 216 of 2 March 2006 in this matter. The position remains that the person concerned made an application for permission to remain in Ireland on the basis of being the parent of an Irish citizen child, born before 1 January 2005, under the revised arrangements announced by me on the 15 of January 2005. The application, which was submitted in March 2005, is still under consideration and I will notify the Deputy when a decision has been reached, which is expected to be made in the near future.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 222: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if it is his policy to treat both parents of Irish born nationals who themselves are foreign nationals in an equal way when deciding on residency here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12777/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I take it that the Deputy is referring to the conditions under which the non-EEA parents of children born in Ireland prior to 1 January 2005 are granted residency in the State. The Deputy will be aware that children born to foreign national parents on or after 1 January 2005 are not automatically entitled to Irish citizenship.

I announced details of new arrangements to deal with the outstanding claims to reside in the State on the basis of the parentage of an Irish born child on the 15 January 2005. Under the IBC/05 scheme applications were accepted from the non-national parents of Irish born children who wished to remain in this State. Almost 17,000 people were granted permission to remain in Ireland under the terms of this scheme. The two parents of an individual child are treated equally in so far as they both satisfied the terms of the scheme in regard to residence in the State and are both active in the family unit.