RIS Galway office

Since 2003, the RIS Galway office has delivered accurate and up to date information on the rights and entitlements of individual asylum seekers and refugees in Galway city on a weekly basis through three drop-in clinics (Tuesday afternoons in the Galway People’s Resource Centre from 2.00 – 4.30 pm and in the Citizens Information Centre on Monday afternoon from 2.00 – 4.30 pm and on Thursday morning from 10.30 – 1.00 pm). RIS has also provided training on the rights and entitlements of various status holders for staff of the Citizen’s Information Centre and other statutory and voluntary agencies.
Queries presenting in clinics continue to be varied ranging from questions on the asylum determination process to residency, citizenship and family reunification. Changes in government policy and issues emerging from the community also influence the queries presenting in clinics.
In addition during 2005, we began to conduct periodic information sessions for groups of asylum seekers in accommodation centres in the Galway/ Mayo/ Donegal region, in response to requests from accommodation centre management and local community organisations Through this work, we identified an acute need in accommodation centres outside the Galway city catchment area.
As a result we extended our service to the Mayo area in January 2006 as a pilot project initially. We are currently operating a clinic from the Family Centre in Ballyhaunis on a monthly basis.
For further information on the Galway service, please contact Judy Irwin, Monday – Friday on 091 532850.