Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 225: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the hours of opening of the Garda National Immigration Bureau Offices in different locations; if it is possible to deal with exceptional or emergency situations at Garda General Offices; if not, the reason same is not possible; if he has received representations on the inconvenience caused by such arrangements; if he has evaluated such; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37915/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Immigration Act, 2004 defines 'registration officer' as the officer in charge of the Garda National Immigration Bureau in the Dublin Metropolitan Area or the Superintendent of the Garda Síochána in a Garda Síochána District outside that Area.

Pursuant to section 9 of the Immigration Act, 2004, a non-national is required to furnish to the registration officer for the District in which he or she is resident, the particulars set out in the Second Schedule, Immigration Act, 2004.

In the Dublin Metropolitan Region the registration of non-nationals is undertaken by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) at a Registration Office situated at 13/14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2. This Office is open from Monday to Thursday, inclusive, from 8am to 10pm, on Friday from 8am to 4pm and subject to demand on Saturdays, which in the months of October and November, 2006 opened each Saturday from 10am to 3pm (with the exception of the bank holiday weekend), for the purpose of accommodating the number of non-national students who have received a permission to be in the State for study purposes, in the current academic year.

Outside the Dublin Metropolitan Region the registration of non-nationals is undertaken by the Garda Síochána at Garda Síochána stations. The times at which the registration of non-nationals takes place is a matter for the Registration Officer (Garda Superintendent) of each Garda Síochána District. Emergency situations are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.