Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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381. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the residency status in the case of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8181/20]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy 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 persons 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 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.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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382. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8182/20]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I am informed that both visit visa applications made by the person referred to by the Deputy were refused for reasons outlined in the decision letter at the time of refusal. It was open to the person concerned, to appeal those decisions within two months of the decision date, however no appeals were received in respect of these applications.

Currently there are no records of any subsequent visa applications in respect of the person concerned.

It is open to the person concerned to submit a fresh application to my Department at any time. However, in doing so, they should take into account the reasons for refusal of their previous applications and submit supporting documentation to address same. The onus is on all visa applicants to satisfy the Visa Officer as to why a visa should be granted.

As part of the efforts to tackle COVID-19 and to ensure customer safety, my Department took the decision to temporarily cease accepting new visa applications, with the exception of certain priority/emergency applications, effective from close of business 20 March 2020. This situation will continue to be kept under review in consultation with the relevant authorities.

While it is still possible to apply for an Irish visa online in the normal manner, these temporary measures mean that applicants will not be able to complete their application process. However, any application made online will remain valid until such time as restrictions are lifted.

My Department intends to resume accepting applications as soon as safety concerns abate. Applicants are encouraged to check our website regularly for any updates at the following link:

.

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.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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383. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8187/20]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that an application for a renewal of permission to remain has been received from the person concerned. This application is under consideration at present and when a decision is made, the person will be notified in writing.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to 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 Question process. The Deputy may consider using the email service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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384. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8188/20]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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This application is currently being considered with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible. If further documentation is required it will be requested from the applicant in due course.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.

It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. However, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to 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 Question process. The Deputy may consider using the email service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.