Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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455. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if Covid-19 related immigration permissions will be treated as reckonable residency for the purposes of long-term residency applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12988/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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During the Covid19-pandemic I provided nine temporary extension of immigration and international protection permissions to 31 May 2022.

The effect of these temporary permissions is that people who held a valid permission to be in the State in March 2020 are legally permitted to remain until 31 May 2022, even if their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card has expired and they are awaiting a new one. Renewal of the permission is on the same basis as the existing permission held and the same conditions will continue to apply. Those covered by the extension are entitled to remain, reside and work in the State if their previously granted permission allowed them to do so.

Therefore, the period during the temporary extension of immigration permissions would be deemed reckonable for long term residence, as all permissions were extended on the same terms and conditions to the permission already held.

It is open to any person who has been legally resident in Ireland for a minimum of 60 months (five years) and who meets the scheme's criteria, to apply for long term residency. The 60 months may be broken up into different time periods and may involve different reckonable permissions. To qualify they must show legal residency in Ireland with the relevant stamps in their passport, or expired Irish Residence Permit (IRP) cards. 

For a person who is a holder of a Critical Skills Employment Permit the criteria is two years. 

Further information is available on my Department's website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/changing-your-immigration-permission/.