Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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31. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when the online system for non-EEA migrants to renew their residence permit cards in Cork will be launched; if she is aware of the significant backlogs in Cork at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26196/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased to inform the Deputy that with effect from 8 July 2024, responsibility for first time registrations and renewals of Irish immigration residence permissions for non-EU/EEA/UK/Swiss nationals residing in counties Cork and Limerick, will transfer from the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) to the Registration Office of the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) of my Department.

With this transfer, approximately 80% of all national registrations and renewals have now transferred from An Garda Síochána to the Department of Justice.

This represents a further significant civilianisation of the immigration residence permission registration process, as recommended by the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. In 2023, there were some 10,000 first registrations and 22,000 renewals of permission carried out by Gardaí in Cork and Limerick.

From 8 July 2024, first time registrations for individuals residing in these counties will be registered at the Burgh Quay Registration Office in Dublin. Applications for renewal of permission can be submitted using the ISD online renewal portal.

I am committed to pursuing all opportunities to civilianise administrative functions within An Garda Síochána, in line with the recommendation contained in the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland report.

Nationwide, over 100 Gardaí have been assigned to immigration duties, including registration. Civilianising registration functions releases valuable Garda hours to focus on operational and enforcement matters, such as deportations and investigations.

The transfer of registration functions for counties Cork and Limerick represents an important step forward in this effort.

It is anticipated that the nationwide transfer of registration functions to the Department of Justice can be substantively completed by early 2025.