Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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617. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 452 of 15 December 2020, the number of occasions that the evaluation committee has sought the advice and guidance from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission; if her Department has received further correspondence on the matter from the CCPC; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8396/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) provides non-EEA nationals with a number of options to invest in Ireland, and successful applicants are granted a permission to reside in Ireland for a fixed period, which is renewable.

Project applications are assessed by an Evaluation Committee, comprised of senior civil and public servants from relevant Irish Government Departments and State Agencies involved in enterprise development in Ireland. The project assessment process involves an examination of the profile of the applicant and an assessment of: the commercial viability of the project; employment outcomes associated with the proposed investment; and the overall benefit to the Irish State.

Where necessary, the Evaluation Committee will request policy input from the relevant policy Department, if they are not already represented on the Committee. The current structure ensures that I, as Minister, can benefit from expertise beyond that available in my own Department.

The Committee makes a determination as to whether a project is suitable for IIP investment and if deemed suitable, the individual application will be submitted to me for final approval.

I can confirm that there has been no further engagement between my Department and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) and no additional correspondence has been received from the CCPC in relation to the Immigrant Investor Programme.