Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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305. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the current and expected naturalisation status of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6494/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I have been informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the persons referred to by the Deputy arrived in the State in 2006 and have remained illegally in the State since the expiration of their initial three-month visitor permission. As the Deputy will appreciate, this is a substantial period of time to be out of permission and it is an offence under the Immigration Act 2004 to reside in the State without permission from the Minister for Justice and Equality. A person found guilty of such an offence is liable under section 13 of the Act of 2004 to a fine not exceeding €3,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.

Any exceptional or family circumstances may be taken into account if the Minister issues this person with an intention to deport under Section 3 of the 1999 Immigration Act.

An application for extension of visitor permission was received on 4 August 2015 from these persons. This application is currently under consideration.

Queries in relation to the Status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been 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 Parliamentary Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.