Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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598. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applications for stamp 4 status received by the relevant section of his Department in each of the past five years and to date in 2018; the numbers granted and-or refused in the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1871/18]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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599. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applications for update of stamp 4 residency status approved and-or refused by his Department in each of the past five years and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1872/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 598 and 599 together.

I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that a Stamp 4 signifies that the bearer has a particular immigration permission, which allows them to live and work in the State without the need for a work permit. I am further informed that because cases which may lead to a Stamp 4 permission being granted will have come through a wide range of immigration pathways and processes it is not possible to provide the level of detail requested insofar as to do so would require the deployment of a disproportionate level of limited resources to the task.

I am advised, however, that at the end of 2017, approximately 65,000 people held a Stamp 4 status. In any given year permissions that expire during the year are considered for renewal as well as new applications being considered. Last year, approximately 19,000 new applications, mostly coming through the immigration and international protection streams, were processed by INIS. Every effort is made to process applications in a reasonable time frame and the allocation of resources across all processing areas of INIS is kept under regular review.