SMD Solicitors

02/08/2024

Naturalisation Case in the High Court - A very interesting case has recently been granted leave to proceed in the High Court. The case was brought by a parent, a naturalised Irish citizen, whose child was born outside of Ireland. They are required to use the Foreign Birth Register for their child in order to apply for an Irish passport and confirm the child's citizenship, but if the parent had been an Irish citizen by birth, this would not be required and the parent is claiming the practice is discriminatory. Watch this space.

The High Court yesterday granted leave to a naturalised Irish citizen (the “Applicant”) to challenge the requirement to register children born abroad to naturalised Irish parents on a ‘Foreign B

27/05/2024

On Friday last week our solicitor Dia Silverstein presented on the topic of interpreters in International Protection at a conference hosted by the the Association of Translators and Interpreters Ireland (ATII). The conference title was ‘Language and the Law - Interpreting and Translation in Legal Settings’ and Dia was joined by co-panelists Wendy Lyon of Abbey Law Solicitors and Hassina Kiboua of the Irish Refugee Council.

There is much that can and should be done to improve interpreting and translation services in Ireland in International Protection matters (and all other contexts too!). This conference was a fantastic opportunity for professionals from different disciplines to compare notes and learn from one another.

16/05/2024

Hot off the presses - Spouses of general employment permit holders are now entitled to a stamp 1G which entitles them to work without the need for an employment permit of their own! This benefit was previously only available to spouses of CSEP holders.

We are delighted at this announcement and it is a welcome change in the right direction for both Irish employers and non EEA families in Ireland.

The Ministers for Justice and Enterprise, Trade and Employment have announced that eligible spouses and partners of General Employment Permit and Intra-Corporate Transferee Irish Employment Permit holders, who have applied for, and have been granted family reunification, in accordance with the Non-E...

11/05/2024

We are honoured and delighted to have been selected as finalists in four categories for the Dye & Durham Irish Law Awards 2024:
1. Law Firm of the Year - SMD Solicitors
2. Sole Principal of the Year - Susan Doyle
3. Lawyer of the Year - Dia Silverstein
4. Legal Executive of the Year - Nicola Murray

Dye & Durham Irish Law Awards 2024 Finalists The Dye & Durham Irish Law Awards are delighted to announce the 2024 Finalists. After hours of consideration and discussions, our Judging Panel are proud to announce the Finalists in each category. Book your tickets and join us on

13/04/2024

Hi everyone,

I'm so delighted to announce I've been selected by the Social Democrats to be a candidate for Ireland South in the upcoming European Elections.

This area represents over a million people across Carlow, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Offaly, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford, and Wicklow.

I've campaigned for change across my entire career, in law, in Inclusion Ireland, (the national disability advocacy NGO) and in volunteering abroad. I joined the Social Democrats last year because I was inspired by the change I know and this party can bring.

For those of you who don't know me, I'm a parent of two wonderful young children and a human rights solicitor based in Douglas, Cork. I'm a proud small business owner, employing 6 people in a practice that specialises in human rights.

I graduated from with a masters in Human Rights Law and International Public Policy, so as you can imagine, fighting for Ireland in the EU would be my dream job.

This country has so much potential, and I've dedicated my career to advocating for the housing rights, immigration reform, and justice that people deserve. I know that we can do more, and Europe is the place to fight for that.

If elected, I will fight for a truly just migration system, and an end to the constant misinformation that has harmed so many.

I will fight for farmers who need a break from bureaucracy and support to provide the food we need to survive and for climate action that ensures a future for our children.

I will fight for housing change that delivers affordable rent, secure housing and quality, lifelong homes for all.

I believe the Social Democrats are a party that will deliver change, that can fight for the services this country deserves and the support you need.

If you would like to help out with the campaign in any way, or if you have any questions, please get in touch. You can message me here, or email [email protected] - I'd love to hear from you.

Don't forget to register to vote at ChecktheRegister.ie - every EU citizen has a vote - be sure to use it!

I cannot wait to meet you all and learn more about what you want to see from Europe.

Susan

13/04/2024

We are pleased to announce that on 24 May 2024 our very own Dia Silverstein will participate in a panel discussion at the upcoming Language and the Law conference hosted by the Association of Translators and Interpreters Ireland.

The panel will focus on issues with interpreting and translating in international protection, which is a practice area Dia has become increasingly involved in during her time at SMD Solicitors. The panel will also feature Wendy Lyon, solicitor, who has extensive experience in international protection having worked in this area for many years, and Hassina Kiboua, Resettlement Officer with the Irish Refugee Council.

The Association of Translators and Interpreters Ireland (ATII) (formerly the ITIA) and the DCU Centre for Translation and Textual Studies are holding an all-day, in-person conference, on Friday 24th May 2024 at Dublin City University:

29/02/2024

We are eagerly awaiting this ruling which will hopefully clarify Ireland’s position on the UK’s agreement with Rwanda to ‘offshore’ many of their asylum seekers there and avoid dealing with their claims in the UK.

Ms Justice Siobhán Phelan says she hopes ruling will not be delayed but it will take time as there is ‘a lot to consider’

26/12/2023

Very big changes to the Employment Permit system announced by Dept of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment last week on 20 Dec 2023. A quick summary of the main changes below:

*11 roles added to the Critical Skills Occupations List.
*32 roles made eligible for a General Employment Permit.
*Increases for minimum threshold of salary for General Employment Permit holders in January 2024:
- Most jobs will increase from 30k to €34k p.a.
-Healthcare assistants and home carers from €27k to €30k p.a.
-Horticultural workers and meat processor from €22k to €30k p.a.

If you have questions about the employment permit process (from either the employer or employee side) please contacts us for a consultation in the new year!

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19/12/2023

Update from ISD for the holiday travel period 2023/2024.

If you are a non-EEA/EU national living in Ireland and your residence permission has recently expired, but you are planning to travel over the upcoming holiday period, this Travel Confirmation Notice (i.e. automatic extension) may be very helpful when you re-enter the State:

26/10/2023

On Wednesday, 18 October 2023, Dia Silverstein gave a presentation at the Imperial Hotel, Cork as part of the Southern Law Association lunchtime CPD series on key aspects of immigration law (for the non-immigration lawyer). We are delighted to see our name up there on the big (projector) screen and we were equally delighted to present a small taste of what do to our colleagues in Cork. Many thanks to the Southern Law Association for the invitation!

10/10/2023

We agree with Senator Koegan on this. Immigration law is a specialised area and requires a good understanding of many aspects of the legal landscape, both local (national) and international. People with immigration matters relying on an unqualified “immigration consultant” on advice could find themselves in serious and permanent difficulty with their immigration status.

Immigration consultants should be regulated along the same lines as solicitors and barristers, an independent senator has said. Speaking in the Seanad this week, Senator Sharon Keogan said UK press reports had highlighted how "migrants across the UK are being preyed upon by immigration advisers and

16/07/2023

Our beautiful office space in Dublin is centrally located and less than 5 minutes walk from Stephen’s Green. While we appreciate the convenience of online consultations (as do many of our clients!) there is no substitute for a face-to-face meeting.