Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

280. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if there are delays in the processing of stamp 4 extensions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62833/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Applications for the renewal of immigration permissions are dealt with by the Registration Unit of my Department in chronological order that they are received. The current processing times for online renewals is 6 weeks. The online renewal facility was launched in July 2020 to process renewals and there has been approximately 186,000 registrations renewed online since the facility was launched.

If an application for renewal of the immigration permission is approved, applicants can expect to receive their new Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card within 10 working days.

The Registration Office is currently experiencing a large volume of renewal applications. To facilitate Non-EEA Nationals legally resident in the State, who are required to renew their current permission, and who wish to travel internationally during the Christmas period, I have provided a Travel Confirmation Notice requesting carriers to allow individuals to travel on their recently expired IRP card. Details including a comprehensive FAQ document are available on the Immigration Services website at

www.irishimmigration.ie/isd-announces-initiative-to-facilitate-customers-travelling-at-christmas/.

My Department's Registration Office in Burgh Quay is responsible for registering and renewing immigration permissions for customers residing in the Dublin area only. Registrations and renewals for persons resident outside of the Dublin area are processed by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) through the Garda Station network. The allocation of appointments for registration and renewal with GNIB, for some 50 locations nationwide, is a matter for An Garda Síochána.

The Registration Office’s customer service team is available to support customers who may have language difficulties or who may need assistance with translation. A number of multi-lingual videos describing the registration process and what to expect are available on my Department's immigration website (www.irishimmigration.ie).

Customers who have an emergency can contact the Immigration Service Helpdesk by emailing immigrationsupport@justice.ie who will endeavour to assist.