Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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122. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the restrictions in place on a person returning here to resume their job, with an unlimited work permit for the person and job specified, who had left the country to care for family that have now passed away; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37462/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department, first of all that if the person concerned is a non-EEA national, they might require a visa to enter the State, so they should be aware of that.

As the Deputy will appreciate there are a number of variables in the question he raises, so it is not possible to give a precise answer. If the Deputy has a specific person in mind they should advise the person to write to Unit 2, Residence Division, INIS where the details of the person's case will be assessed. A work permit holder would be given a Stamp 1 by INIS and in the normal course of events, a person must be continuously resident in the State to enable them to renew their immigration permission. Continuous residence means living in the State for a period covered by their permission, but allowing for reasonable periods of absence from the State for holidays and exceptional family circumstances. Without the specifics of the case I cannot comment further.

The Deputy may wish to note that 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 the 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.