The Fair Fees Campaign Group has written to Minister for Justice Helen McEntee calling on her to reduce immigration fees related to the Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card as part of the upcoming budget.
The IRP card fee is €300. Most people living in Ireland from outside the EU are forced to pay this fee every year.
The Fair Fees Campaign Group is calling on the Ms McEntee to reduce the fee to a level more in line with similar fees charged for other state registrations such as a passport (€75) or driving licence (€55).
The Department of Justice have claimed the revenue from IRP card fees reflects the effort and cost involved in processing registrations.
Neil Bruton, Campaigns Coordinator said, “The income from IRP card fees is not ringfenced for immigration, in fact it goes into general DOJ spending [4]. In 2021, when €35 million was generated from IRP cards, the DOJ ended up with a €21.7 million surplus which went back into the general exchequer [5].
"How can the Department continue to claim they need this money to cover their costs? We would welcome some transparency on this.”
Lijie Shao, spokesperson for the Fair Fees Campaign Group said, “We have no choice but to pay this fee. We are living and working here for many years, why are we being discriminated in this way and forced to pay extra during a cost-of-living crisis? We are calling on Minister McEntee and the Government to reduce this extortionate fee in the upcoming budget.”
