Written Answers Nos. 473-490
473. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection what exceptions exist for people who have not paid their full stamps in order to qualify for a payment due to health problems over the years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16487/24]
View answerIllness benefit is the primary income support provided by my Department to those who are unable to work due to illness of any type. Eligibility for illness benefit is based on medical and contribution conditions. Claimants must have a minimum of 104 social insurance contributions paid under Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) classes A, E, H or P and must meet other conditions in relation to when these were paid and whether they are paid or credited contributions.
Invalidity pension is a social insurance scheme based on PRSI contributions and medical conditions. In order to qualify, the person must have been incapable of work for at least 12 months (and likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months) or permanently incapable of work. Claimants must have 260 weeks of paid contributions since starting work and 48 weeks of paid or credited PRSI contributions in the last or second-last complete year before the ‘relevant date’ - this is the date of the start of the person’s permanent incapacity for work as decided by the Department. This date is usually after a year of being incapable of working but can be less where a person is considered permanently incapable of work.
In circumstances where people are ill but do not qualify for illness benefit or invalidity pension, my Department provides means tested supports under the disability allowance scheme and the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. An additional needs payment may also be available to people who have expenses that they cannot pay from their weekly income.
My Department will continue to keep its range of supports under review to ensure that they meet their overall objectives. Any changes to the current system would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context, and in the context of contribution rates and the overall sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
474. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the application for a public services card by a person (details supplied) back in 2019 but has not had any response to the application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16488/24]
View answerThe SAFE registration process, which my Department uses to authenticate a person's identity, is a face-to-face process which results in the issuing of a Public Services Card (PSC).
I can confirm that the individual referred to by the Deputy successfully completed their SAFE registration interview on 2 April 2024.
A Public Services Card (PSC) has been ordered and the person concerned will receive this in 7 to 10 working days.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
475. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection the social welfare credits available for persons about to apply for the State contributory pension in circumstances where they have had to retire from their own work to care for their spouse; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16508/24]
View answerThis Government acknowledges the important role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the State Pension system currently gives significant recognition to those whose work history includes an extended period outside of paid employment, often to raise families or in a full-time caring role.
The current State Pension (Contributory) system provides measures including PRSI credits, Homemaking Disregards and HomeCaring Periods to recognise caring periods of up to 20 years in the calculation of a payment rate, subject to the qualification condition of having 520 (10 years) paid contributions. A combination of 20 years homecaring periods and 20 years paid contributions can be used to qualify for a full rate pension.
Despite these measures, some long-term carer's of incapacitated dependents may still face barriers in accessing the State Pension (Contributory). They may have difficulty establishing the minimum number of 520 paid contributions. This was recognised by the Pension Commission in its report which recommended that long-term carer's should be given access to the State Pension (Contributory) and defined long-term caring as caring for more than 20 years.
As the Deputy is aware, I introduced long-term carer's contributions from the 1st January 2024 as one of a number of key State pension reforms. In keeping with the recommendations of the Pensions Commission, long-term carer's contributions can be awarded to a person who has cared for an incapacitated person for a period of 20 years or more. These contributions will be treated the same as paid contributions for State Pension (Contributory) entitlement only and can be used to satisfy the minimum 520 contributions condition.
Finally, the situation remains unchanged where a person reaches State Pension age and does not satisfy the conditions to qualify for State Pension (Contributory) or qualifies for less than the maximum rate, they may instead qualify for one of the following:
The means-tested State Pension (Non-Contributory) which is a means-tested payment (based on their share of household means) with a maximum payment of 95% of the State Pension (Contributory); or
An increase for a qualified adult (based on their own means), amounting up to 90% of a full rate State Pension (Contributory) where their spouse has a contributory pension.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
476. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of increased qualified adult payments that have been made to those living outside Ireland in 2023, in tabular form; the list of countries and the total amount paid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16522/24]
View answerMost welfare benefits require the recipient to be habitually resident in Ireland. Certain welfare benefits, such as State Pension Contributory allow the recipient to live outside the State.The data requested by the Deputy for the calendar year 2023 is shown in the attached tabular statement. There were approximately 3,500 recipients of increased qualified adult payments living abroad, and 82,000 payments were made.Note that only a person's current country of residence is available in my Department's records. Due to this limitation, the table below is a record of all adult dependent allowances paid in the calendar year 2023 to recipients who were resident outside Ireland in March 2024. As such, it does not include payments made to people who moved to Ireland in 2023, while it includes payments made to people who lived in Ireland at the start of 2023 before moving away. This means that the expenditure figures shown in the table are statistical estimates rather than exact figures.
|
Country |
Expenditure (million €) |
|
Ireland |
954.1 |
|
United Kingdom |
5.9 |
|
Poland |
2.0 |
|
Spain |
1.2 |
|
Australia |
1.0 |
|
USA |
0.8 |
|
Other |
3.4 |
|
All |
968.2 |
477. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications made for increased qualified adult payment; the percentage that was refused to applicants living in Ireland; and the percentage refused to applicants living outside of Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16523/24]
View answerRecipients of certain social welfare payments can claim an increase in their payment in respect of a qualified adult, subject to a means assessment. A qualified adult is the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the recipient who is being wholly or mainly maintained by that claimant.
The information requested is not readily available, and may also not be available for all schemes. My Department is in the process of collating the data in question which is available and will revert with a reply to the Deputy in due course.
478. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Social Protection in view of increased qualified adult payment being means tested, how the Department can adequately ascertain people are eligible when they live abroad; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16524/24]
View answerSubject to certain conditions and those applying to the different schemes, an Increase for a Qualified Adult is payable in respect of a person who is wholly or mainly maintained by the person applying for the payment. For the purposes of social insurance schemes, a spouse/civil partner/cohabitant of the applicant is only regarded as being wholly or mainly maintained, where that person’s weekly income does not exceed the weekly statutory limit of €100. When this limit applies, a full rate of increase for a qualified adult is payable. If the spouse/civil partner/cohabitant’s weekly income exceeds this limit but is less than or equal to €310.00 per week, a lower (tapered) rate of increase is payable.
Other than in relation to certain schemes and in limited circumstances, a person is generally disqualified from receiving social assistance or social insurance payments while he or she is either resident abroad or temporarily absent from the State. Similarly an increase in respect of a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is normally not payable during any period during which he or she is either resident abroad or temporarily absent from the State.
The following schemes, mainly contributory pensions and long-term benefits, are payable while the recipient is absent from the State whether temporarily or permanently living abroad.
Disablement Benefit
Invalidity Pension
State Pension (Contributory)
Guardian's Payment (Contributory)
Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension.
The continuation of payment is subject to the recipient continuing to satisfy the relevant entitlement conditions for each particular scheme. Increases may also continue to be paid in respect of a qualified adult subject to the normal conditions of dependency and income limits continuing to be fulfilled.
As part of my Department’s commitment to ensuring that claimants are receiving their full and correct entitlements, ongoing reviews of all means tested payments are carried out. In the case of an increase for qualified adult (IQA) on State Pension (Contributory), for example, the primary claimant is contacted by my Department to notify them that their continuing entitlement to the means tested IQA payment is being examined.
A questionnaire is required to be completed to include details of the means of their qualified adult. Means assessable include all assets and income including property, savings, investments, pensions, earnings, compensation held either solely or jointly by the IQA. Where property or assets are held jointly, the qualified adult's means are assessed as half of the total amount.
Where a qualified adult has weekly means of less than €100, the maximum rate of IQA is payable. Where their weekly means are over €100 and not more than €310, a tapering reduced rate of IQA is payable. If the qualified adult has means of more than €310 per week, this exceeds the means limit and there is no entitlement to an IQA payment.
479. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of payments made in respect of the living alone allowance to those living outside of Ireland; the list of countries and how much was paid in total; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16525/24]
View answerPrimary weekly social welfare payments are intended to enable recipients to meet their basic day-to-day income needs. Each primary payment has specific eligibility criteria, which may include residence in Ireland.
In addition to these primary payments, the Department also provides a range of other payments, on a weekly, monthly, or less frequent basis. These payments are considered secondary in nature and cannot be made available to those who are not in receipt of a primary payment.
The Living Alone Increase (LAI) is one of those secondary payments. It is not a scheme or a stand-alone payment, but it is a supplement to a primary social protection payment of €22 per week made to people in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone.
Qualifying payments for the LAI include State Pension (Contributory), State Pension (Non-contributory), Widow’s, Widower’s, or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension, Widow's/Widower's Pension under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme, Incapacity Supplement under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme, Invalidity Pension, Disability Allowance, Blind Pension and Deserted Wife's Benefit.
The LAI can be paid to someone who is not resident in Ireland if they are in receipt of a primary payment which does not require the recipient to be resident in Ireland, provided they continue to meet the other criteria. Of the LAI qualifying payments, State Pension (Contributory), Widow’s, Widower’s, or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension and Invalidity Pension do not require a person to be resident in the Republic of Ireland.
The number of people in receipt of the LAI will vary over time as individual circumstances change. The Department’s records as of the 31st of March 2024 show that there are 172,584 Living Alone Increases in payment. Of these, 6,228 were being paid to those with a registered address outside the Republic of Ireland. The number of recipients per country is listed in the below table. Each person would be receiving €22 on a weekly basis in addition to their primary payment. For 6,228 payments this would equate to an approximate cost of €137,000 on a weekly basis.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Details of LAI payments awarded as of 31/03/2024
|
Country |
Total |
|
AUSTRALIA |
512 |
|
AUSTRIA |
12 |
|
BELGIUM |
22 |
|
BELIZE |
1 |
|
BULGARIA |
7 |
|
CANADA |
270 |
|
CAYMAN ISLANDS |
1 |
|
CHANNEL ISLANDS |
7 |
|
CHINA |
1 |
|
CYPRUS |
9 |
|
CZECH REPUBLIC |
25 |
|
DENMARK |
18 |
|
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC |
1 |
|
ESTONIA |
9 |
|
FINLAND |
3 |
|
FRANCE |
115 |
|
GERMANY |
131 |
|
GREECE |
8 |
|
HONG KONG |
1 |
|
HUNGARY |
15 |
|
INDIA |
4 |
|
INDONESIA |
1 |
|
ISRAEL |
3 |
|
ITALY |
21 |
|
JAPAN |
1 |
|
JERSEY |
3 |
|
KENYA |
1 |
|
LATVIA |
30 |
|
LITHUANIA |
59 |
|
LUXEMBOURG |
5 |
|
MALAYSIA |
2 |
|
MALTA |
8 |
|
MEXICO |
2 |
|
MOROCCO |
1 |
|
NETHERLANDS |
45 |
|
NEW ZEALAND |
20 |
|
NORFOLK ISLAND |
1 |
|
NORWAY |
8 |
|
PHILIPPINES |
8 |
|
POLAND |
90 |
|
PORTUGAL |
38 |
|
ROMANIA |
5 |
|
SERBIA |
1 |
|
SLOVAKIA |
17 |
|
SOUTH AFRICA |
15 |
|
SPAIN |
241 |
|
SWEDEN |
9 |
|
SWITZERLAND |
16 |
|
THAILAND |
9 |
|
TUNISIA |
2 |
|
TURKEY |
3 |
|
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES |
1 |
|
UNITED KINGDOM (incl. Northern Ireland) |
3668 |
|
USA |
720 |
|
VIETNAM |
2 |
|
Total |
6228 |
480. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of payments made in respect of the cost-of-living allowance paid to those living outside of Ireland; the number of recipients; the list of countries and how much was paid in total; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16526/24]
View answerPersons entitled to receive their social welfare benefit abroad are also entitled to cost of living lump sum payments to help with the cost of living. This includes, for example, recipients of State Pension Contributory, Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension or Invalidity Pension. In 2023 there were approximately 63,000 recipients receiving 91,000 cost of living allowance payments (Budget 2024). The data requested by country by the Deputy is shown in the below table. Note that all figures are preliminary estimated from individual payments excluding arrears. Note that only a person's current country of residence is readily available in my Department's records. Due to this limitation, the table below is a record of all cost of living payments paid in the calendar year 2023 to people who were resident outside Ireland in March 2024. As such, it does not include payments made to people who moved to Ireland in 2023, while it includes payments made to people who lived in Ireland in 2023 before moving away.
|
Country |
Expenditure (million €) |
|
Ireland |
812 |
|
United Kingdom |
5.0 |
|
Poland |
1.1 |
|
USA |
0.8 |
|
Australia |
0.7 |
|
Spain |
0.4 |
|
Canada |
0.3 |
|
Germany |
0.2 |
|
Lithuania |
0.2 |
|
France |
0.2 |
|
Other countries |
1.2 |
481. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of Ukrainians living in Ireland who are in receipt of the carer's allowance, disability allowance and jobseeker's allowance, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16527/24]
View answerCarer's allowance is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
Disability Allowance is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who has a specified disability and is aged between 16 and under 66 years of age.
Jobseeker's Allowance is a means-tested payment made to people who are unemployed and habitually resident in the State.
The following is the number of beneficiaries of Temporary Protection currently in receipt of the above-named payments:
|
Carer's Allowance |
774 |
|
Disability Allowance |
1,453 |
|
Jobseeker’s Allowance |
22,364 |
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
482. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) was not paid the double week in January when they were in receipt of a payment, who was switched automatically to jobseeker's benefit until 13 February; if the case will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16528/24]
View answerThe January bonus was paid to recipient's of a long term Social Welfare Payment. Long Term are customers with over 312 paid days from this Department.
Persons in receipt of Jobseeker's Benefit from are entitled to either 156 or 234 paid days only and therefore would not have an entitlement to the January Bonus, unless it was linked to Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) within 26 weeks, which was not the case for the Person Concerned.
The Person Concerned was in receipt of:
Jobseeker's Benefit from 19/07/20203 to 25/10/2023 (65 paid days).
Carer's Benefit from 13/07/2023 to 17/01/2024 (162 paid days with overlap of previous payment).
Jobseeker's Benefit 18/01/2024 to 12/02/2024 (24 paid days).
At the time of the January Bonus the Person Concerned had 74 paid days paid on Jobseeker's Benefit and so was not qualified for the payment.
483. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when arrears will be paid to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16536/24]
View answerDisability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and Habitual Residency conditions.
I confirm that my Department received an application for DA from the person concerned on 30 August 2023. While the original decision was to disallow the application, following a successful appeal, the person concerned was awarded DA with effect from 30 August 2023. The first payment will be made via their chosen payment method on 17 April 2024. The decision was communicated to the customer via written correspondence dated 09 April 2024.
As the means of the person concerned exceeded the maximum statutory allowance for DA from the period 30 August 2023 to 02 January 2024, no payment is due for this period.
DA arrears will be calculated, taking into account prior payments, and will issue on 17 April 2024. These arrears will include the €400.00 Cost of Living bonus which was paid to DA recipients in November 2023. Notification issued to the person concerned on 11 April 2024 confirming the agreed arrangement for the payment of arrears due.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
484. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person who is self-employed and has made sufficient contributions to qualify for a State pension (contributory) when reaching 66 years of age, could retire from their occupation at 65 years and claim jobseeker's benefit for the year before reaching 66 years in the same way as other workers can under present legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16539/24]
View answerThe Benefit Payment for 65-Year-Olds was introduced in line with the Programme for Government commitment to address the position of people who are required to or choose to retire at age 65 before the State pension age of 66. The payment is designed to bridge the gap for people who retire from employment or self-employment at age 65 until they qualify for the State Pension at age 66.
The Benefit Payment for 65-Years-Olds is available to employees and the self-employed and is provided for under the Jobseeker’s Benefit and Jobseeker’s Benefit (Self-Employed) schemes under Sections 62 to 68 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended).
To be eligible for the payment a person must satisfy the qualifying conditions of the scheme including the relevant PRSI social insurance contribution requirements. A self-employed person must have paid at least 156 PRSI contributions at Class S or have paid at least 104 PRSI contributions at Class A or H and have paid 52 PRSI self-employment contributions at Class S in the Governing Contribution Year, which is 2 years prior to the date of the application.
If the Deputy has a particular case, they are advised to forward the details to the Department so that the circumstances can be examined.
I trust that clarifies the position for the Deputy.
485. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the free travel pass is only assigned to those in receipt of the carer’s allowance and cannot be assigned to both the recipient of the carer’s allowance and the other parent or guardian, where the second parent or guardian can prove they contribute to the care of the child whose care needs gives rise to the eligibility for the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16609/24]
View answerThe Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. There are over one million customers with direct eligibility. This increases to 1.75million customers when spouses and companions are included. The estimated expenditure on the Free Travel in 2024 is €104 million.
It is important to note that, in general, access to a free travel pass for those aged under 66 is linked to a person being in receipt of certain primary Social Protection payments such as Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Carers Allowance, Blind Pension and Partial Capacity Benefit. Therefore, the free travel pass is a secondary benefit directly linked to the person being in receipt of Carer's Allowance.
A person’s entitlement to a free travel pass is displayed on an individual’s Public Service Card which also contains the holders name, photograph and signature and therefore allowing the card to be used by another person would result in security and administrative issues especially for transport providers participating in the free travel scheme.
Any decision to expand the qualifying conditions for the free travel scheme to award a free travel pass to both the recipient of the Carers Allowance and the other parent/guardian not in receipt of Carers Allowance could only be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.
Finally, I would like to highlight that the Department does provide Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme for people who have an essential need which they cannot meet from their own resources. These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers and may be paid to assist with ongoing or recurring travel costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary. Every decision is based on consideration of the circumstances of the individual case, taking account of the nature and extent of the need and of the resources of the person concerned.
Any person who considers that they may have an entitlement to an Additional Needs Payment is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service. There is a National Community Welfare Contact Centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office. In addition, applications can be made online via www.mywelfare.ie.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
486. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress in organising an annual national recruitment fair to promote jobs, apprenticeships and training options for the construction sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16659/24]
View answerUnder the Housing for All Implementation Fund, a dedicated team staffed from the Department of Social Protection (DSP), SOLAS and the Education and Training Boards (ETBI) is supporting recruitment and training for the construction industry as part of the Future Building Initiative. In delivering on the Housing for All Action Plan, this Department committed to hold an annual national recruitment fair to promote jobs, apprenticeships. This event is being delivered on Thursday, 18th of April with the large National Construction Recruitment & Training Fair taking place in City Hall, Cork. Some 40 exhibitors will be at the Fair, as well as representatives from the National Apprenticeship Office. Employers are seeking to fill vacancies for a variety of roles in construction and there will also be a range of training and education offerings for those looking to train or upskill for these roles.
This flagship event is part of a broader Intreo Work and Skills campaign, to include over 30 events taking place across the country to provide jobseekers with an opportunity to connect with employers who are actively recruiting for jobs in a range of sectors including hospitality, healthcare, logistics and retail roles and also to learn about the training options to help them take the next step in their career.
The national construction recruitment and training fair follows on from a recent Construction Apprenticeship Careers Fair in Tallaght, Dublin 24 in February this year, where almost 1,000 students and jobseekers met with over 40 exhibitors and employers regarding apprenticeship opportunities as part of the promoting Careers in Construction action plan and builds on the National Construction Careers Fairs held in May 2023 and May 2022 in Dublin.
This work of the Future Building Initiative feeds in to delivering the commitments set out in the Housing for All Strategy.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
487. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the situation with the lack of an ambulance service on Tory Island and on other Donegal islands, with only one island having any service (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16731/24]
View answerIssues regarding the ambulance service are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Health.
488. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice the timeline for establishing a group to identify administrative or other measures which could be implemented in the short term to reduce delays and costs for home purchasers in the conveyancing and probate processes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16669/24]
View answerI can advise the Deputy a Working Group on Conveyancing and Probate was established by the then Taoiseach last year to carry out a review of current conveyancing and probate processes and identify scope for greater efficiency and streamlining. The group comprises various experts including a solicitor, an auctioneer, consumer advocates as well as officials from the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and my Department.
The group is engaging with key industry representatives from the financial services, legal services, local government, property services sectors as well as other stakeholders. It is envisaged that this Group will report with its recommendations by the Summer, and I along with ministerial colleagues, look forward to that report.
I can further advise the Deputy that as part of its ongoing Modernisation Programme, the Courts Service is working to digitally transform the way in which probate is granted in the conveyancing process.
The eProbate project will deliver a facility to submit and track applications for Grants of Representation online via a public facing portal. This new digital offering is currently in the early stages of development and will continue to be developed throughout 2024 with an expected public launch in 2025.The public facing portal will act as a single point of contact for users to submit and track their applications through the entire process. The electronic submission of applications through the online portal, combined with automated validation of key information at submission time, will enable faster and more efficient processing of applications, with the aim of reducing waiting times.
It should be noted that major legislative reforms have been made to conveyancing law in recent years as part of the Government’s ongoing drive to reform and ensure greater efficiency in our property law and conveyancing practices - for example, the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Acts 2009 to 2021.
In addition, the Tailte Éireann Act 2022 consolidated the mandatory nationwide registration of property, along with property valuation, mapping and surveying functions, into a single State body, Tailte Éireann, from March 2023. A total of 90% of property titles nationally are now registered, which greatly simplifies the future conveyancing of that property.
489. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice if it is now possible for a person (details supplied) to apply for citizenship on behalf of their daughter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16011/24]
View answerThe granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
There is no automatic right to Irish Citizenship for the children of Non-EEA national parents resident in the State. However, where a child is born in the State to a Non-EEA national parent who has 3 years reckonable residence in the State prior to the birth, an application for Citizenship can be made in respect of that child.
The only other means by which a minor can obtain Irish citizenship is through naturalisation. As minors cannot apply for naturalisation in their own right, any application must be made by their parent, legal guardian or person acting on the child's behalf "in loco parentis".
Detailed information on how to apply for naturalisation is available on my Department's Irish Immigration website at:
/www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/
490. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in the determination of a visa application in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16031/24]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that the application referred to was created on the 21 April 2023. Supporting documentation was received in the Kampala office on the 26 May 2023. The application was received in the Dublin Visa Office on the 13 June 2023 where it awaits examination and processing.Long Stay Join Family visa applications are processed in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification. This policy document may be accessed at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Policy-document-on-Non-EEA-family-reunification.pdf. This Policy Document contains a stated business target that visa applications for family reunification for immediate family members of Irish citizens and Category A sponsors, such as Critical Skills Employment Permit Holders, should be dealt with within 6 months of application. However, it must be made clear that these are business targets for the immigration service. The business target reflects the detailed and often complex assessment that is required to be carried out in relation to applications for family reunification. It is not possible to give a definitive date as to when this application will be finalised. All applications are processed in chronological order, based on date order of receipt. While every effort is made to process applications as soon as possible, processing times will vary having regard to the volume and complexity of applications, the possible need for the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) function of the Department to investigate, inquire into, or seek further information, and the resources available.
The applicant will be notified as soon as a decision has been reached by a Visa Officer.
Processing times and decisions at the Dublin Visa Office can be checked at the following link which is updated each Tuesday:
www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/ 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: IMoireachtasmail@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 Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
