Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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292. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if a permission letter will issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39942/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, INIS, of my Department that the person concerned entered the State on 24 August 2016 following his application under the working holiday and internship programme - Ireland's working holiday agreement, WHA, with Canada. I understand this permission expired on 24 August, 2018.

Insofar as the question's reference to an extension is concerned, I would draw the Deputy's attention to the specific wording in this bilateral Agreement, as published on www.dfa.ie, which states that "... permission to those entering Ireland on the Working Holiday Authorisation shall be valid for a maximum of twenty four (24) months from the date of entry into Ireland [and that] extensions to the period of validity of such permission shall not be granted. Participants must leave Ireland on the expiration of their permission which cannot be extended, either under the authorisation itself, or through attempting to convert it to a different form of immigration status."

In view of the terms of the WHA, the Deputy will appreciate that I am not in a position to grant permission beyond this date. In addition, pursuant to the Immigration Act, 2004, a non-national may not be in the State other than within the terms of any permission given to the person concerned by the Minister for Justice and Equality.

I am further informed it remains open to the person concerned to re-enter the State at a future date in line with a range of immigration pathways that may be available to him including under the work permit system operated by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. Further information can be obtained fromwww.inis.gov.ieor www.dbei.gov.ie.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department 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.