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Further Temporary Extension Of Immigration Permissions.

Minister Helen McEntee announces further temporary extension of immigration permissions.

Helen McEntee TD
  • Applies to permissions due to expire between 15th January 2022 and 31st May 2022.
  • Extension applies to people with permissions extended under previous notices.
  • For permissions registered by the Immigration Service in Dublin and An Garda Síochána nationwide.

The Minister for Justice, Mrs Helen McEntee TD, has today announced a further temporary extension of immigration and international protection permissions to May 31st, 2022.

This applies to permissions that are due to expire between January 15th 2022 and May 31st 2022 and includes permissions that have already been extended by the previous eight temporary extensions since March 2020.

Announcing the measure, Minister McEntee said:

“This Christmas, because of the evolving COVID-19 situation and ongoing public health guidelines, many immigration customers may fear they will lose their current immigration permission because of the potential impact of restrictions on the delivery of our services.

To remove some of the worry and stress caused by this uncertainty, I want to reassure people whose immigration permissions are due to expire shortly that your legal status in the country will continue to be maintained. To do this, I am introducing a further automatic extension to May 31st, 2022 for anyone already holding a valid permission.

This extension will benefit those who cannot get an appointment to register or renew an existing permission. However, I encourage anyone who needs to renew an existing permission, particularly Dublin-based customers who can do so online, to do so and not to wait until May when demand will be very high.

To help meet the existing demand for first-time registration appointments in the Dublin region, my Department is introducing a new Freephone telephone booking system in January to ensure those who need an appointment can access one.”

Further details on the Freephone system will be available on www.irishimmigration.ie when the service begins. A new online booking system will also be launched early in 2022.

Customers in the State who are entitled to receive a new Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card may continue to use their current expired card to enable them to depart from and return to Ireland in confidence over Christmas and until 15 January 2022.

Adult customers who plan to travel abroad beyond January 15th 2022 should apply to renew their immigration permission and receive a new IRP card. Otherwise, they must secure a re-entry visa in Ireland before travelling or in an overseas visa office before returning.

The current suspension of the re-entry visa requirement for any minors travelling with a legally resident parent or guardian, a measure which benefits up to 6,000 children and their families, will continue in line with the new extension until May 31st 2022.

The Department’s immigration service is experiencing a high demand for services and the Minister and her officials continue to implement initiatives to deliver benefits for customers.

Further outlining the latest improvements, Minister McEntee said,

“From today, Dublin-based customers who have a new passport and who wish to renew an immigration permission will be able to upload their passport biodata page online instead of attending the Registration Office in Burgh Quay. This move will free up staff resources and improve the processing times for existing applications.”

Immigration staff are processing 1,000 first-time registrations every week in the Registration Office in Burgh Quay, which is the maximum allowed under current public health guidelines, and the office is open from Monday to Thursday 8:00am to 8:30 pm and Friday 8:00am to 6:00pm.

Dublin-based customers can renew a permission online at https://inisonline.jahs.ie

Renewals outside of the Dublin area are processed by the Garda National Immigration Bureau through the Garda Station network. Information on the contact details for all the registration offices outside Dublin is available at: www.garda.ie/en/contact-us/station-directory

International students

International English Language Students who have already completed the maximum number of three language courses may continue to work in line with the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) criteria until May 31st 2022, without enrolling in a further English language course.

However, they must register for a new qualifying immigration permission by May 31st 2022 to ensure they can remain in the State after that date.

December 17th, 2021 | Category: Community News, Law, Politics | Leave a comment | |

Minister McEntee Asks People To Consider Career in An Garda Síochána

Minister McEntee encourages people to think about career in An Garda Síochána ahead of new recruitment campaign.

  • Minister asks people in new Irish and minority communities to apply
  • New regulations remove requirement for applicants to be proficient in two languages
  • New Irish language strategy to be launched by An Garda Síochána
  • Vital that An Garda Síochána represents the Ireland of today

The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has today urged people, especially those in minority and new Irish communities, to consider a career in An Garda Síochána ahead of a new recruitment campaign opening early in the New Year.

In line with the Government’s commitment to strengthen and support An Garda Síochána as it protects and serves our communities, a new Garda Trainee Recruitment campaign is due to commence early in 2022.

The last recruitment competition was held in early 2019. Successful applicants are placed on a panel from which they are drawn by An Garda Síochána for training when required by the Garda Commissioner.

The Government has next year committed to the recruitment of 800 extra Gardaí and 400 Garda staff and is dedicated to increasing diversity within An Garda Síochána.

Minister McEntee today urged people, particularly those from new Irish and minority communities, to think over the Christmas break about applying to become a member of An Garda Síochána.

Minister McEntee said:

“As Minister for Justice, protecting communities and supporting victims is my absolute priority, and the Government’s support for An Garda Síochána reflects that commitment.

The greatest strength of An Garda Síochána is its bond with the communities it serves. Our own national life has been greatly enriched by so many new communities of different origin in recent decades.
But significant work is still required across the public sector – not least the justice sector – to make sure our new and minority communities are better represented, as well as to improve gender equality.
I want everyone in our society, such as our African-Irish and Traveller communities, to see members of their own communities serving in An Garda Síochána.

I know Commissioner Harris and all members of An Garda Síochána are dedicated to increasing diversity within the organisation. I have discussed this with the Commissioner and I am very pleased that a vigorous campaign will be launched by An Garda Síochána to encourage as many people as possible to apply.
Our new recruitment campaign provides a great opportunity to increase diversity within the service and I urge people from these communities to seriously think over Christmas about applying in the New Year.”

The Commission on the future of Policing in Ireland noted that diversity is a vital asset to any organisation that seeks to be innovative and adaptable.

The Minister made her comments after she received Cabinet approval this week for new regulations which will allow An Garda Síochána hold the new recruitment competition.

These new Regulations, amending the Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) Regulations 2013, will allow for a broader appeal for service with An Garda Síochána to reflect the increasing diversity of Irish Society.

In addition to technical amendments required to reflect changes in legislation from the Refugee Act 1996 to the International Protections Act 2015, the requirement for applicants to be proficient in two languages, one of which must be English or Irish, is also being changed.

As currently worded, the requirement for proficiency in two languages is acting as a barrier to more diverse recruitment.

Under the amended regulations, proficiency will only be required in one language – which can be English or Irish. This will remove any potential disadvantage for people not born in Ireland who do not have any experience with the Irish language.

An Garda Síochána remains committed to the Irish language and studies in the Irish language will remain part of the Policing BA. A new Irish Language Strategy has been developed by An Garda Síochána and will be launched early in 2022. The Strategy aims to strengthen Irish language services within An Garda Síochána and ensure compliance with statutory language obligations.

The Minister continued,

“I want these new regulations to send out a message and to encourage interest from all communities across Ireland in a career with An Garda Síochána. Of course, An Garda Síochána remains committed to the Irish language and I look forward to its new strategy.
I would also take this opportunity to encourage more women to apply for a career in An Garda Síochána.
In recent years we have made great strides to address the gender imbalance in An Garda Síochána, especially at the most senior levels, but I want to see more women entering the service, as I know they are fully capable and can make such a difference to their local community“.

An Garda Síochána are working to produce a combined internal and external Equality, Diversity and Integration Strategy in early 2022.

Minister McEntee concluded,

“I welcome the many diversity initiatives being actively pursued by An Garda Síochána. The Intern Programme for Garda Staff, which aims to promote a career in An Garda Síochána among young people from communities traditionally underrepresented in the organisation by offering the opportunity of an internship, commenced on 30 November with the first 26 interns.
I am confident that this scheme will be a huge success and will demonstrate to all communities that there is a place for them in An Garda Síochána.”

December 16th, 2021 | Category: Community News, Crime, Law | Leave a comment | |

Person Arrested Following Garda Operation In Cashel, Co. Tipperary.

A Garda and Immigration Bureau operation was conducted in Cashel last evening (December 9th).

Officials from the Work Relations Commission; the Dublin based Garda National Immigration Bureau and the Cahir District Immigration Officer, inspected multiple business premises within the Cashel area.

During this joint agency operation, a number of offences were detected.
One person was detained, with Court case to follow.

December 10th, 2021 | Category: Community News, Crime, Law | Leave a comment | |

Minster Browne Welcomes Enactment Of Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill.

  • The Bill replaces and strengthens laws against people smuggling.
  • Covers a broader range of scenarios, and a broader geographic range.

The Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Mr James Browne TD, is pleased to announce that the Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill has completed all stages in the Oireachtas, and is expected to be signed into law by the President shortly. The Bill will replace and strengthen laws against people smuggling.

Minister Browne said,

“The terrible tragedy in the English Channel last month is a reminder, if one was needed, of the need to combat the unscrupulous practise of people smugglers.
This new legislation will help. The existing smuggling offence is difficult to prosecute, as it effectively requires the prosecution to prove that the defendant acted for gain. As this gain will typically occur outside the State, this has often been impossible.
The new Bill helps facilitate the cooperation required for us to continue to work together with our colleagues in the EU and the UK to combat smugglers who have no regard for the lives of the people they put at risk.”

Mr James Browne TD

The revised offence also covers a broader range of scenarios – it covers intentionally assisting entry, transit or presence where the person knows or has reasonable cause to believe that it is in breach of specified immigration law provisions. And while the existing offence is limited to facilitating the entry into the State, the revised offence covers smuggling into other countries (including EU Member States and parties to the UN Protocol against people smuggling).

The Bill ensures that a full defence is in place to protect those acting for genuine humanitarian purposes and not for gain, or on behalf of bona fide humanitarian organisations. It also ensures that smuggled persons are not criminalised by being smuggled.

The new legislation replaces most aspects of the Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Act 2000 and reflects the provisions of three international instruments against people smuggling:

  • EU Council Directive 2002/90/EC defining the facilitation of unauthorised entry, transit and residence;
  • EU Framework Decision 2002/946/JHA on the strengthening of the penal framework to prevent the facilitation of unauthorised entry, transit and residence; and
  • UN Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2000).
December 9th, 2021 | Category: Community News, Law, Politics | Leave a comment | |

Gardaí Seize Cocaine In Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.

This morning, December 7th, 2021, in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Gardaí from the District Drugs Unit, the Detective Branch and Regular units conducted a search under warrant, at a house in Clonmel town Co. Tipperary.

Cocaine with an estimated street value of over €2,500 euro was seized during this search operation.

A male in his 20’s was arrested and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

December 7th, 2021 | Category: Community News, Crime, Law | Leave a comment | |
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