Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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650. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if a person (details supplied) will be allowed entry to study; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36136/19]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Immigration Service of my Department that there are in total twelve grounds on which an immigration officer may refuse to give a permission to enter the State. These are set out at Section 4 (3) of the Immigration Act 2004 (as amended by the International protection Act 2015). While a person may be refused permission to enter the State based on a number of grounds, a refusal need only be based on any one of those grounds. Immigration officers are required to provide a written notice to the person refused entry that sets out the reasons for the decision. In all cases, removals from the State are conducted in accordance with the law.

I am advised that the individual referred to in the Deputy's question was refused entry into the State by an Immigration officer in 2014 as they had not established a valid reason for entry. The individual in question had violated the terms of their visa granted in 2012 by overstaying for a period of 2 years and working without permission.

If a person who has been refused leave to land in the State seeks entry at a future point, their application will be assessed on its own merits taking all relevant information into consideration at that time. While their prior immigration history is a matter of record, this does not preclude them from seeking permission to enter the State in the future. All relevant factors are taken into account, the principal ones being: the purpose of the visit or stay, the duration of the stay, the ability of the individual to support themselves during their stay, and, proof that the person will exit the country on or before the expiry of any permission given, or register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau, as applicable.

The Deputy may wish to note that queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the Immigration Service of my Department, by e-mail, using the Oireachtas Mail facility 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 from the Immigration Service is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.