Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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557. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her views on lengthy waiting lists for Irish residence permits (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42514/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the registration office with the Immigration function of my Department experiences a seasonal increase in demand for immigration residence permissions in the September to November period.

Appointments are predominantly fully booked as students seek to register their first immigration permission during this time. Following arrival in the State, applicants have up to 90 days to register and are encouraged to secure an appointment as early as possible.

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that in recent months, additional resources have been deployed to the Registration Office and the number of appointments available has been significantly increased. Every effort is being made to minimise waiting times for applicants and it is regretted that waiting times for appointments are temporarily longer during this period of the year. It should be noted that 2024 will see a record number of first registrations of immigration permissions.

In addition, in 2024, my Department has taken the majority of responsibility for first time registrations from An Garda Síochána, and also handles immigration permission renewals for customers nationwide. This civilianisation process is envisaged to be fully completed in 2025.

Once an applicant has provided all necessary details, whether processed by the Registration Office or GNIB, the IRP cards are sent for printing and will issue to the address provided. Delivery is made daily by An Post and distributed via express post. I can advise the Deputy that IRP cards are delivered within a maximum of 10 working days from the date a case is processed and typically within a shorter time.