Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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532. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applications that her Department has received to date for the regularisation scheme for long-term undocumented migrants; the number of applications that have been rejected; the number of instances where rejections have occurred due to the applicant, despite being currently undocumented and having resided in the State for at least four years, being documented at some point within those past four years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25748/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As of 23 May 2022, my Department has received 4,703 applications in respect of 5,943 applicants to the scheme for the Regularisation of Long-Term Undocumented Migrants.

At the outset, my Department committed to making the online application process as simple and as straightforward as possible.  As a result of this, permission letters have been arriving in homes across the country with life changing news for those receiving them and their families. I want to congratulate everyone who has received a letter and to thank them for trusting us and coming forward to regularise their position in the State. 

A total of 807 permissions have been issued to date to successful recipients of the scheme. No refusals have been issued yet.

These figures relate to the main strand of the Scheme and not the international protection element, which is being processed separately by the International Protection Office of my Department.

It is very important that people who are eligible don’t miss out on the opportunity to apply to this scheme. To build on the early momentum and continue raising awareness of the scheme, my Department is running a targeted communications campaign from now until the end of July when the scheme closes, to reach out to migrant communities likely to benefit from the scheme to encourage them to consider applying.

The scheme genuinely is a once-off, life-changing opportunity to obtain status in the State. I can assure people that we are examining applications pragmatically and humanely and we are considering all viable proofs of residence.

If the Deputy is aware of someone who might be eligible for the scheme please encourage them to come forward. Applicants will be supported in a positive way and if they are not eligible for the scheme, other immigration options can be explored. 

Full details regarding the qualifying criteria, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and the required documentation for the Scheme is available on my Department's immigration website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/regularisation-of-long-term-undocumented-migrant-scheme/.