Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 390: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will consider extending the visas of US citizens residing here from one year to five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35446/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Under national immigration arrangements, permission to reside in the State is normally granted to a non-EEA national for 12 months at a time and on a renewable basis. Longer periods may also be allowed to migrants who have been granted long term residence. While Ireland enjoys a particularly close relationship with the United States of America, there would be no valid basis for departing from the normal arrangements for one particular nationality. Such an approach could also be open to legal challenge. I should also point out that I am not aware of any country which extends a concession of this nature to Irish citizens.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 391: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when a decision will issue on an application for leave to remain in the State in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35471/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The person concerned was granted permission to remain in the State on 27 September, 2005 for a 2 year period, under the Revised Arrangements applicable to the non-EEA national parents of Irish born children born in the State before 1 January, 2005, more commonly known as the IBC/05 Scheme. This permission to remain was renewed in 2007 and again in 2010. A decision by INIS to grant the person concerned permission to remain in the State for a further 3 years was recently conveyed in writing to him on 14 November, 2011. He should now register with his local Garda Immigration Officer.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by Email using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up-to-date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.