Justice Department in talks with immigrant doctors’ group

The Department of Justice is to liaise with immigrant campaigners over concerns that citizenship applications from doctors born outside the EU are taking too long.

Train Us For Ireland wants citizenship applications from immigrant medical graduates (IMGs) fast-tracked to improve their chances of getting on a post-graduate course.

Providing specialist training to IMGs would help ease the consultant recruitment crisis, the group has said.

Discussions between the group and immigration staff from the department took place last week and followed a written request for dialogue sent to the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee.

The main item on the agenda was the length of time it was taking to process citizenship applications.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice told Irish Medical Times the talks were “positive”, adding that officials from the department’s Immigration Service would continue to liaise with Train Us For Ireland over the issue.

“Thank you so much @HMcEntee for arranging a meeting for us with your committed team @DeptJusticeIRL,” the group tweeted.

“We appreciate it and look forward to a timely solution to citizenship delays that is beneficial to all frontline workers and the Irish health system.”

The group has previously discussed their campaign with representatives from Sinn Féin, the Greens and Fianna Fáil.