Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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324. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if a letter will issue from the Irish-born child section in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin whose mother is an Irish citizen and who has been attempting to update her Garda national immigration bureau card to facilitate employment, but who has been told due to her inability to obtain a new national passport that only a letter from Irish-born child section will suffice for updating her bureau card; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10279/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned was granted permission to remain in the State on 11th April, 2008, valid to 24th January, 2010, a position consistent with the permission held by the mother of the person concerned at that time. This permission was subsequently renewed with the latest permission expiring on 31st January, 2015.

By decision letter dated 12th December, 2013, the person concerned was advised of the requirement that, during that period of permission, they take the necessary steps to obtain a national passport to attest to their identity and nationality. Indeed the Deputy might wish to note that the person concerned was issued with an Irish Travel Document to enable them to travel to procure a national passport from their own consular authorities. In light of the Deputy's Question, it would appear that the person concerned has not yet obtained a national passport, in spite of the INIS' clear instruction that they do so.

In an effort to have this matter progressed, the person concerned should now write to the INIS' Residence Division, 13-14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2, to explain the efforts they have made to date towards acquiring a national passport. The person concerned should include their Travel Document with that communication to show evidence of travel undertaken on that document. Upon receipt of this documentation, the position in the State of the person concerned will be further considered.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by e-mail 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.