Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour)
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Question 613: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to review the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2008 whereby non-EU volunteers may extend the period beyond the current three years stipulated in the Bill; if his attention has been drawn to an organisation (details supplied) have a excellent track record of supporting volunteers to provide effective service to the State at a low cost over an extended period. [22811/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2010 will provide a statutory framework within which immigration policies will be developed and amended as the need arises. It is not proposed to set out in primary legislation the detailed rules for different categories of migrants. This will be better achieved through regulations and administrative guidelines.

New guidelines for volunteer workers came into effect on 1 January 2011 and these guidelines are available on the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service website (www.inis.gov.ie).

The three year duration applies only to volunteers who are permitted to enter the State on or after 1 January 2011. It is not my intention at this time to extend this duration beyond three years. For volunteers lawfully present in the State prior to 1 January 2011 the guidelines provide for those persons to have their immigration permission renewed annually beyond the three year limit subject to the person meeting certain conditions.

I understand that the organisation which the Deputy refers to has been accommodated over the years regarding their intake of non-EEA volunteers.