James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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238. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding revised advice to volunteer visa applicants regarding the policy on the volunteering in Ireland scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39374/19]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Immigration Service of my Department that revised procedures for persons wishing to travel to Ireland as volunteers were introduced on 30 April 2018.

These procedures provide for a preclearance process to facilitate and streamline entry to the State. The preclearance process applies to both visa and non-visa required non-EEA nationals.  One of the key objectives of the revised procedures is to provide certainty to all applicants prior to their arrival that they will be permitted to enter the State as volunteers and make their immigration process as straightforward as possible both at the port of entry and on registration of their immigration permission once in the State.

Under the Volunteer in Ireland Scheme, qualifying volunteers are permitted to enter and remain in the State for up to two  years, where there is a demonstrated need for their services and subject to compliance with all other immigration requirements that apply in individual cases.

Full details of the scheme is available on the INIS website at

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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239. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if a person (details supplied) can be facilitated with a partnership visa application before their current residency permit expires; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39547/19]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Immigration Service of my Department that the person concerned has an ongoing application for permission to remain in the State based on her De Facto relationship with an Irish national. I am further advised that the person concerned holds temporary permission to remain, which is due to expire on 22 November 2019. 

My Department is currently dealing with De Facto applications received in April 2019. It is envisaged that the De Facto application of the person concerned would be finalised before the expiry of her temporary permission to remain.  

Queries in relation to the status of individual Immigration cases may be made directly to the Immigration Service of my Department 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 Immigration Service is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.