Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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185. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the average processing time, in months, for applications currently being processed in 2023 by the undocumented unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11640/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Regularisation of Long Term Undocumented Migrants scheme opened on 31 January 2022 and closed on 31 July 2022. This once in a generation scheme was designed to give long-term undocumented people without a current permission to remain in the State, the chance to regularise their status, access the labour market and begin their path to citizenship. The scheme was only open to those who did not have a current permission to reside in the State and enabled eligible applicants to remain and reside in the State and to regularise their residency status.

In total, 6,548 applications were submitted in respect of 8,311 people under the scheme. Of these 5,654 (86%) were Single Applications and 894 (14%) Family Applications. As of 6 March 2023, 5,865 people who applied to the scheme have been issued a decision, of which 5,372 (91%) are positive decisions, 391 (7%) are negative decisions, and 102 (2%) applications have been withdrawn by the applicants for various reasons.

The average processing time for cases processed in 2023 by the Undocumented Unit is 9.4 months.

Applications continue to be processed and processing times vary depending on the complexity of the application; whether it is a single or family application; the supporting documentation and the vetting process with An Garda Síochána (AGS). Applications where there is an existing deportation order require additional processing.

Each application received is assessed individually in accordance with the published criteria, available on my Department's immigration website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Undocumented-Policy-Scheme-January-2022.pdf.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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186. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the progress that has been made in the determination of an application as part of the recent undocumented scheme in the case of a person (details supplied), who is now facing homelessness since they are unemployed due to work injury, who has paid their taxes and cannot obtain any interim support due to their status and is now at risk of losing their home due to the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11660/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The application for the person referred to by the Deputy was received by the Undocumented Unit of my Department on 23 February 2022 and continues to be processed. Due to the large number of applications on hand it is not possible to provide a definitive timeframe for a decision to issue.

The processing times of applications will vary depending on the complexity of the application, whether it is a single or family application, the supporting documentation and the vetting process with An Garda Síochána (AGS). Applications where there is an existing deportation order will require additional processing.

Each application received is assessed individually in accordance with the published criteria, available on my Department's immigration website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Undocumented-Policy-Scheme-January-2022.pdf.

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 at INISOireachtasMail@justice.ie, 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 e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.