Dublin, 31st October 2024 —

Leading identity verification provider ID-Pal has been selected by the Irish Department of Justice to support the digitisation of its online renewals system, following the launch of its new Digital Contact Centre.

The Digital Contact Centre is a significant milestone in the government’s modernisation of immigration services and digitalisation of current processes. This transition enables all Irish immigration permission renewals to be processed online through an Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) portal, eliminating the need for in-person visits to Garda Stations.

Starting from 4 November 2024, applicants across the country will benefit from a fully digitalised system for renewing their immigration permissions. Prior to this, only residents of Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, Cork, and Limerick could renew their permissions online.

ID-Pal’s AI-powered identity verification technology is at the core of this digitalisation of the immigration renewal process, offering a highly secure and automated solution for validating identities in real-time. With its ability to verify over 7,000 identity documents and 200 verified address data sources globally, ID-Pal ensures compliance with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations while safeguarding data in line with GDPR requirements.

By automating manual verification processes, ID-Pal enables faster and more accurate identity checks, creating a seamless experience for both applicants and immigration officials. The solution enhances the operational efficiency of the Department’s services while strengthening security across the system.

This partnership with ID-Pal is part of a broader effort by the Department of Justice to future-proof its public services, ensuring that they are both scalable and secure. The modernisation programme aims to replace legacy systems with a single platform that provides comprehensive self-service functionality, making it easier for applicants to interact with immigration services while improving the Department’s capacity for border security and customer service.

On the launch of the Digital Contact Centre (DCC), Minister Helen McEntee stated:

“This new innovative and streamlined online platform will replace old helpdesk systems and will enable my department to handle queries faster and provide a more efficient service to our customers.” “Today’s announcement is a significant step in my department’s Immigration modernisation programme and I am delighted to make our services more accessible and responsive to the public’s needs.”

The Department of Justice has allocated an additional €25 million for investment in the immigration system as part of Budget 2025, with €5 million being used to invest in digital solutions.

Colum Lyons, CEO and Founder of ID-Pal, commented:

“This collaboration with the Department of Justice highlights our commitment to providing cutting-edge identity verification solutions that support the digital transformation of public services. By modernising processes and enhancing security, we’re helping create a more efficient, accessible, and secure immigration system for Ireland.”

The Department’s mission of working for a safe, fair and inclusive Ireland carries with it enormous responsibility, but also a great sense of purpose and pride in the contribution that our organisation makes to the delivery of a just and democratic society.

We have lead responsibility for public policy in respect of the security of the State and public safety, including the prevention and detection of crime, the administration of justice, the management of inward migration and international protection processes, the provision of important regulatory services and ongoing reform of civil and criminal law.

The Department is aligned under two pillars, Civil Justice and Criminal Justice, each led by a Deputy Secretary. Each pillar contains the following functions: Governance, Legislation, and Policy. Supporting the work of both pillars are the enabling functions of Corporate, European Affairs, Change, Technology and Innovation, and Transparency.

In addition, the large Immigration Service Delivery function located in the Civil Justice pillar manages the delivery of immigration and international protection services for the Department and the State, while the Justice Service Delivery function manages the delivery of efficient, robust and customer-centric non-immigration frontline services for the Department.