Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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320. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of sham marriages that have happened in Ireland for each of the past five years; the proportion of these sham marriages of the total that his Department/Gardaí have investigated for each of the past five years; if it is the case that documents are not verified for their integrity in the EU Treaty Rights Division, Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, 13 to 14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2; if all of these documents are verified with the issuing banks and other organisations; the number of staff this division has had for each of the past five years; and the number of fraudulent passports this office has found in each of past five years. [8652/25]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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321. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if any banks have refused to verify the integrity of bank documents by those that seek to register a marriage under EU Treaty Rights; and the reason they have done this. [8653/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 320 and 321 together.

I can assure the Deputy that my Department works closely with An Garda Síochána to prevent persons who have engaged in marriages of convenience, from obtaining immigration permission to be in Ireland. This includes refusing applications and revoking immigration permissions which may have been obtained under false pretences.

While my Department can refuse an application if a person is deemed to have entered into a marriage of convenience, work to identify such marriages or intended marriages is also undertaken by An Garda Síochána and the Civil Registration Service. The information sought regarding the number of marriages investigated by my officials is not collated in the manner requested by the Deputy and of the nature of these issues, it is not possible to provide a figure of the number of marriages of convenience which have occurred in this State over the last five years.

Applications for immigration permission are considered on a case-by-case basis and can be refused on a number of grounds, including where a person has engaged in a marriage of convenience. Applications to the EU Treaty Rights Division of my Department undergo checks at all stages of the application process to establish if the applicant meets the criteria laid down by the relevant EU Directive. As part of this process, documentation is examined and various checks conducted to verify information supplied. Applicants are also required to present their passport as part of the registration process. Where there are concerns in respect of documents such as fraudulent passports or bank statements, these documents are forwarded on a case by case basis to An Garda Síochána for further examination and such further action they may deem appropriate so it is not possible to provide the information requested by the Deputy regarding the number referred to An Garda Síochána.

Finally, the number of staff in the area fluctuates throughout the year due to individuals moving jobs for various reasons including promotion, retirement etc. Between 2021 and 2024 staffing levels within the EU Treaty Rights Division varied between 40 and 60; as of 25 February 2025 there are 55 staff assigned to that Division.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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322. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of people for each of the past ten years that have applied through the regularisation of the long-term undocumented migrant scheme; and the number of people that have applied for this scheme that have already received a deportation order for each of the past ten years. [8654/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The Regularisation of Long-Term Undocumented Migrants scheme was a strictly time-limited one that 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.

Eligibility under the Scheme was subject to the good character and conduct of applicants. The Scheme provided that the Immigration Service would take into consideration information from An Garda Síochána and other public authorities regarding any behaviour of a criminal nature considered to be contrary to the common good and/or public policy and could refuse to grant a residence permission to any applicant on that basis.

My Department recorded 6,548 applications in respect of 8,311 individuals under the time limited scheme, including 1,126 minors which were submitted as a part of family applications. 1,328 of these individuals had been the subject of a Deportation Order.

8,284 decisions have been issued to date to applicants of the scheme, of which 6,519 are positive decisions, 1,645 are negative decisions, and 120 applications have been withdrawn by the applicants for various reasons.