Written answers

Thursday, 7 November 2019

Department of Justice and Equality

Immigration Status

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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97. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45938/19]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by my officials that, in response to a notification pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), written representations have been submitted on behalf of the person concerned.

These representations, together with all other information and documentation on file, will be fully considered, under Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and all other applicable legislation, in advance of a final decision being made.

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.

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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98. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the residency position in regard to stamp 4 and eligibility to take up employment in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45939/19]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, for reasons of maintaining full confidentiality, it is not my Department's practice to comment on whether an application for asylum or subsidiary protection has been made in the State.

An applicant for such protection status, or their legal representative, should contact either the International Protection Office (IPO) or the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) directly, as appropriate.

The IPO may be contacted: by email to info@ipo.gov.ie; by telephone to the IPO Customer Service Centre at 01 6028008 or in writing to Customer Service Centre, International Protection Office, 79-83 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2. The International Protection Appeals Tribunal may be contacted either: by email to info@protectionappeals.ie; by telephone at 01-4748400 (or Lo-Call 1890 201 458), or in writing to Corporate Services Division, The International Protection Appeals Tribunal, 6-7 Hanover Street East, Dublin D02 W320.

The Ministerial Decisions Unit also operates an email service - mduinfo@justice.ie.

An applicant for international protection is awarded international protection, whether refugee status or subsidiary protection status, upon a declaration of status being issued from my Department. This is done on foot of a grant recommendation from the International Protection Office (IPO) or a decision of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) to set aside a refusal recommendation of the IPO. My Department processes the recommendations received from the International Protection Office and the decisions of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal in chronological order based on the date the file is received in that Unit. Once the necessary due diligence has been carried out by officials in my Department, a declaration of status will issue as soon as possible.

Under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018, those in the international protection process have access to the labour market nine months from the date when their protection application was lodged, if they have yet to receive a first instance recommendation from the International Protection Office, and if they have cooperated with the process.

Eligible applicants may apply to my Department for a labour market permission which covers both employment and self-employment. The Labour Market Access Unit (LMAU) of the Immigration Service process applications. The permission is granted to eligible applicants for six months and is renewable until there is a final decision on their protection application. Eligible applicants have access to all sectors of employment, with the exception of the Civil and Public Service, An Garda Síochána, and the Irish Defence Forces.

An applicant who receives a positive decision on their international protection application is granted access rights to the labour market and labour market supports, without the requirement for a work permit, once granted status by the MDU. Further information on Stamp 4 is available on our website: .

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to 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 is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.

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