Written Answers Nos. 581-600
582. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the conditions which currently apply for an application for Irish citizenship; his views on whether these conditions are currently too lax and need to be tightened; if individuals who are granted asylum status receive any preferential treatment or fast track in relation to citizenship applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35917/25]
View answerAll applications for a certificate of naturalisation are assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. There are no plans to revise the current provisions.
Applicants are required to have 5 years reckonable residence in the State prior to making an application, except for spouses of Irish nationals where the requirement is 3 years. In all cases, the final 12 months must be continuous residence in the State with up to 70 days allowed to facilitate foreign travel for business family or holiday purposes.
Individuals who have been granted refugee status under the International Protection Act 2015 may apply for Irish citizenship after three years of reckonable residence in the State from the date they are declared a refugee; it should be noted that the time spent in the State prior to being granted international protection is not counted as reckonable residence for this purpose.
Given the importance of citizenship, robust and comprehensive checks take place on each application. Under Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 as amended, all applicants are required to satisfy the good character criterion. As part of this assessment, An Garda Síochána is requested to make enquiries into the applicant’s background; the detail and extent of which is a matter for An Garda Síochána. For sound security and operational reasons, it is not the practice to comment on the enquiries that may be conducted.
Detailed information on how to apply for naturalisation and other resources is available on my Department’s Immigration website here: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/
583. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will support the formation of a permanent stakeholders’ forum for licensed firearms holders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35927/25]
View answerReform of the firearms licensing system has been under consideration for a number of years and extensive consultation has been undertaken. My Department holds meetings with individual firearms organisations on request and engages with various firearms stakeholders in other ways, while An Garda Síochána also meets with stakeholder organisations in respect of relevant matters.
Earlier this year, my Department organised a series of engagements with firearms stakeholders and in February, three national fora were held with the Registered Firearms Dealers in Wicklow, Limerick and Carrick-on-Shannon. A further two fora were held with Firearms Owners in Mullingar on 19 June 2025. My officials have also met with various firearms organisations, including the National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC), who represent a variety of shooting disciplines.
The objective of these fora and meetings is to provide a mechanism for ongoing engagement with firearms stakeholders and I can assure the Deputy that it is my intention, with Minister of State Collins, to further engage with relevant stakeholders in relation to any potential changes to policy or legislation in this area.
584. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reason the majority off all join family visa applications are being sent to visa HQ in Dublin when several embassies hold powers to process in-house; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35950/25]
View answer585. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average processing time for join family visas processed in Dublin HQ given the 72-day processing time stated by him in previous parliamentary questions is not in line with processing times stated on the ISD website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35951/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 584 and 585 together.
I can advise the Deputy that there are currently seven overseas Visa Offices in addition to the Visa Office in Dublin. They are located in Abuja, Beijing, London, Moscow, Ankara, Abu Dhabi and New Delhi. While the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade processes certain visa applications in Irish Embassies abroad under delegated sanction from my Department, this sanction does not extend to the consideration of join family visa applications in all circumstances.
Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are only delegated to consider join family visas when they are submitted alongside an application for an employment visa for holders of Critical Skills Employment Permits. All other join family visa applications must be considered by the Dublin Visa Office or by one of the seven overseas Visa Offices.
Join family visas require a detailed and often complex assessment of the person and their family member’s individual circumstances. If a join family visa is refused, this potentially has very serious consequences for the family concerned. Therefore, it essential that these applications are considered by officials from my Department's Visa Division who have the necessary skills, expertise and experience.
Processing times for all applications are influenced by a number of factors and some applications may take considerably longer than average to progress to finalisation. The time it can take varies depending on the type and complexity of application; individual circumstances; peak application periods; such as holidays or the start of the school year; and, crucially, the quality and completeness of the application lodged.
The current processing times of join family visa applications varies depending on the circumstances when the application is made. If a non-EEA national is moving to Ireland because they have been granted a Critical Skills Employment Permit they can apply for join family visas at the same time as their own employment visa. When these visas are applied for together, they are processed in tandem and are typically completed in under eight weeks. My Department aims to process join family visa applications made in other circumstances within 12 months. This target applies to applications processed by the Dublin Visa Office and those processed in the seven overseas Visa Offices.
I can advise the Deputy that the majority of join family visas receive a first instance decision within the 12-month business target. In 2024 the average processing time for all types of join family visa application was 72 calendar days.
The processing dates of the Dublin Visa Office published on my Department’s website are different to the average processing time figure for 2024, because they refer to the oldest date of application currently being processed by the Dublin Visa Office. However, it should be noted that the Visa team continue to process and make decisions on applications received after the published processing date. If a particular application takes longer to consider this may result in the published processing date remaining unchanged. I can assure you that this does not indicate the processing of these applications has halted overall.
My Department is committed to providing the best possible service to applicants. To provide greater clarity, officials in my Department are currently in the process of updating the Immigration Service website for processing times for decisions on visa applications by the Dublin Visa Office.
I understand that extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants, and I want to assure anyone who has made an application for a join family visa that my Department is doing everything possible to progress these applications as quickly as possible. In recent months, additional resources and staff have been assigned to my Department’s Visa Division which I expect will reduce the waiting times for all applications.
In 2024, approximately 201,000 visa applications, of all types, were received by the Visa Division of my Department. This reflects an increase of 21%, compared to 2023, with over 35,000 additional applications received. These increases have continued, in the first five months of 2025, my Department's Visa Division received approximately 88,400 visa applications and has issued over 76,900 decisions. This reflects an increase in applications of 14%, compared to the same period in 2024.
My officials are working to meet the increased level of demand, and over 5,400 additional visa decisions have issued in the first five months of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024.
586. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reason there is no ability to track when visa applications have been sent from an embassy abroad to visa HQ in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35952/25]
View answer587. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reason postal queries sent to visa HQ are taking upwards of six months for replies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35953/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 586 and 587 together.
In keeping with the Government commitment to significantly enhance the delivery of public services digitally, phase one of my Department's Immigration Customer Service Portal went live in October 2024. The Customer Service Portal is a self-service portal that enables applicants to check their immigration application status, book first-time registration appointments and raise queries in relation to their applications, including visa applications.
Visa applications that are received in embassies abroad will be registered on my Department’s immigration records management system and applicants can subsequently confirm the status of their application using the Customer Service Portal. The portal will detail to customers the stage their application is at i.e. application received, application accepted, application in progress, application decision, or application complete.
My Department is committed to providing the best possible service to applicants and a centralised applicant support team is in place comprising of over 20 staff to support this. Since the launch of the Customer Service Portal and up to 26 June 2025, I can advise the Deputy that there are now over 137,000 registered customers and there has been over 102,000 resolved queries. Additionally, almost 55,000 registration appointments have been made.
I can advise the Deputy that in most cases, postal correspondence received to my Department’s Visa Division comprises of additional documentation for association with an applicant’s file. Where a customer has a query, the Customer Service Portal is the primary avenue to communicate with the Immigration Service.
My Department continues to monitor customer experience and is committed to its continuous improvement. The functionality of all our online platforms are under constant review.
588. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to clarify his Department’s new policy to not refuse visas in the first instance and instead RFI with a 15-day deadline, and the impact of such on processing times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35954/25]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that there has been no change to my Department's policy regarding the processing of Irish Visa applications.
When a person applies for an Irish visa, they are required to complete an application form and supply all the required documentation. Guidelines to assist individuals making visa applications are published on my Department's website, this includes a full list of the different application forms and the necessary documents. People that carefully follow these guidelines have an improved prospect of receiving a positive decision.
In most circumstances my officials issue a decision on a visa application based on the information submitted in support of the application. However, on occasion a request for additional information will be made to a person. Normally, these requests are made when a small amount of information is required or in exceptional circumstances. The responsibility remains on the person to provide full information at time of application and my officials do not, in the normal course of events, seek additional information regarding each application.
I can advise the Deputy, that if a Visa Officer intends to refuse an application on the grounds of deception, for example if there are concerns that fraudulent information has been provided, a ban of up to 5 years may be made against the person. In these circumstances, the individual is given 15 working days to address the Visa Officer’s concerns in respect of the information provided to the Visa Office. This process is to ensure people have a fair opportunity to explain any inconsistencies, mistakes or misunderstandings regarding their application which, if unaddressed, could prevent them from applying for an Irish visa in future.
In 2024, approximately 201,000 visa applications, of all types, were received by the Visa Division of my Department. This reflects an increase of 21%, compared to 2023, with over 35,000 additional applications received. These increases have continued, in the first five months of 2025, my Department's Visa Division received approximately 88,400 visa applications and has issued over 76,900 decisions. This reflects an increase in applications of 14%, compared to the same period in 2024.
My officials are working to meet the increased level of demand, and over 5,400 additional visa decisions have issued in the first five months of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024.
589. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of staff in his Department are working on queries which are received through the new DCC portal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35955/25]
View answer590. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if AI is being used to answer queries received through the DCC portal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35956/25]
View answer591. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the way in which migrants with urgent queries should contact his Department, given queries submitted through the new DCC portal are taking 3-6 weeks for replies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35957/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 589, 590 and 591 together.
In keeping with the Government commitment to significantly enhance the delivery of public services digitally, phase one of my Department's Immigration Customer Service Portal went live in October 2024. The Customer Service Portal is a self-service portal that enables applicants to check their immigration application status, book first-time registration appointments, and submit queries.
Since the launch of the Customer Service Portal and up to 26 June 2025, I can advise the Deputy that there are now over 137,000 registered customers and there has been over 102,000 resolved queries. Additionally, almost 55,000 registration appointments have been made.
My Department is committed to providing the best possible service to people and a centralised applicant support team is in place comprising of over 20 staff to both answer and coordinate customer queries. When a query is received, it will either be answered directly by this central team or it will be assigned to the relevant division within the Immigration Service. Each division has designated staff to answer customer queries as part of their overall duties.
There is a chatbot on the portal that is powered by AI and provides 24/7 customer support. There is also an internal AI ‘co-pilot’ programme. This programme provides a summary of a customer's interactions with the Immigration Service to-date, and assists officials to respond to queries. It should be noted that all queries submitted through the portal are responded to directly by departmental staff.
If a person has submitted an urgent query through the Customer Service Portal and wish to follow up, they should continue to use the portal as this is the primary avenue to communicate with the Immigration Service. Applicants can be assured that all queries will be responded to as quickly as possible.
My Department continues to monitor customer experience and is committed to its continuous improvement. The functionality of all our online platforms are under constant review.
592. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when the review of the non-EEA join family policy document will be completed. [35958/25]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the review of the Policy Document for Non-EEA Family Reunification, which was last amended in 2016, is examining a wide range of matters relating to applications for family reunification. These matters include the nature and suitability of current income thresholds and waiting periods. My Department has consulted with a wide variety of stakeholders and the expectation is that the review will be brought to a conclusion soon. My officials will continue to engage with stakeholders regarding any amendments to the policy.
While I fully understand that some people moving to Ireland to live and work would wish to have their family join them, the issues to be examined as part of a family reunification application are complex. An important consideration in all family reunification applications, for example, is the ability of the sponsor to demonstrate a clear capacity to provide for their family members if they are to be granted a permission to come to Ireland.
I can also advise that, with effect from 15 May 2024, the first part of the review was implemented in that eligible spouses and partners of General Employment Permit and Intra-Corporate Transferee Irish Employment Permit holders, who have applied for and been granted family reunification, in accordance with the Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy, will now be registered on a Stamp 1G permission, rather than a Stamp 3. This will allow the holder to take up employment without the need to obtain a separate Employment Permit of their own
593. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the expected rollout timeline for the national electronic tagging programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35970/25]
View answer594. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if Castlerea Prison is included in the electronic tagging programme implementation plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35971/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 593 and 594 together.
The Programme for Government commits to implementing electronic tagging for appropriate categories of offender, such as individuals who:
• have been charged with a serious offence or are appealing a District Court sentence and admitted with certain bail conditions, such as curfew or exclusion zones (Bail Act 1997, as amended).
• who are on Temporary Release or subject to Restriction on Movement Orders (Criminal Justice Act 2006, as amended).
• who are convicted sex offenders subject to a post-release supervision order or a sex offender order that includes a condition restricting movement (Sex Offenders Act 2001, as amended)
Existing legislation, including the Bail Act 1997, as amended, the Criminal Justice Act 2006, as amended, and the Sex Offender Act 2001, as amended, provide for electronic monitoring in certain circumstances.
In order to progress the use of electronic monitoring, a steering group was established in 2024 to oversee the project. The group includes representatives from the Department of Justice and relevant bodies including An Garda Siochána, the Courts Service, the Irish Prison Service, the Probation Service, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
I am advised that work is underway involving representatives from the various agencies, to prepare to operationalise electronic monitoring.
This includes consideration of technology, data protection, procurement, implementation, and operating model design.
A Request for Information was published on eTenders on Thursday, 5th June. This is a key early step in engaging with the market and preparing for a future Request for Tender.
The project will determine in what order the various legislative provisions should be commenced, having regard for the practical and operational considerations involved with each potential cohort.
An initial rollout of electronic monitoring is expected later this year following a procurement exercise to select a service provider.
595. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for a schedule of the number of Defence Force members that made applications to the Garda trainee programme in each year from 2021 to date in 2025; the number of those that were successful at stage 1 and 2 of the Garda recruitment process, for the same time period; and the number of those that were admitted to the Garda trainee programme over that time period. [35987/25]
View answerI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. Regrettably, this was not available in time and I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.
596. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide a timeframe for the complete refurbishment of the now closed District courthouse in Wicklow town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36024/25]
View answer597. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide details of the costings-options for full restoration of Wicklow Courthouse that the OPW provided the Courts Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36025/25]
View answer598. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide a breakdown of all costs, including nature of cost for the closed Wicklow Courthouse for each year between 2010 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36026/25]
View answer599. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if consideration has been given to handing the Wicklow Courthouse over for community usage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36027/25]
View answer600. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to outline any capacity issues in Wicklow in relation to the Courts Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36028/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 596, 597, 598, 599 and 600 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, management of the courts and operational matters, including matters pertaining to court buildings, are the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in the exercising of its functions under the Courts Service Act 1998.
However, to be of assistance to the Deputy, my officials have made enquires with the Courts Service and the following sets out the position in relation to the Deputy’s questions.
Wicklow courthouse has been closed due to health and safety concerns since September 2010. The Office of Public Works (OPW) has provided the Courts Service with costings and options for the full restoration of Wicklow Courthouse, ranging from circa €13m to €17m.
I am informed that the Courts Service has included Wicklow Courthouse in its submission for the forthcoming review of the National Development Plan (NDP). This means that further progress in relation to Wicklow Courthouse and timeline for its complete refurbishment will depend on funding allocated under the revised plan. The Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation announced a review of the NDP in April 2025. The review is due to be complete in July 2025.
I am further advised by the Courts Service that the OPW has recently undertaken some works to preserve the roof of Wicklow Courthouse. All internal works associated with the tender are now complete and work has commenced on the roof of the Courthouse to commence addressing the dry rot which has spread through adjoining buildings.
As requested by the Deputy, the Courts Service has provided a full breakdown of all costs, including their nature, for the closed Wicklow Courthouse for each year between 2010 and 2025, in tabular form (Figure 1).
The Courts Service has further advised that, while open to making the Courthouse available for community usage, it is not currently in a position to do so for health and safety reasons. However, the Service has already liaised with Wicklow County Council and made the adjoining former Library building available to the Council, which is currently being used as a Ukrainian Hub. In addition, the Courts Service are open to engaging with all interested parties.
To be of further assistance, the Courts Service has provided current waiting times at Bray District and Circuit courts in tabular form (Figure 2). Bray currently serves as the main court venue for County Wicklow.
