John McGuinness
Question:246 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of a visa application in the name of a person (details supplied); and if a decision in the case will be expedited. [18536/04]
View answerTuesday, 22 June 2004
Questions (246, 247)
Written answers
The visa application in question relates to a six year old minor non-EEA national, to enable her to reside with her mother and step-father in the State. The application was refused because it had not been established that the child's father had consented to her travelling to the State. It is open to the person in question to appeal against the refusal of the visa by writing to the visa appeals officer in my Department.
Eamon Gilmore
Question:247 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his Department has received an application from persons (details supplied) to travel here to be with their father; the date the application was received; the progress that has been made on the application; when a decision will be made on the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18573/04]
View answerVisa applications from the two persons in question, both 16 year old non-EEA nationals, were received in my Department on 27 May 2004. They named their father as their reference in Ireland and he submitted documentation in support of the applications. While the purpose of their journey to the State was stated as for studying in their applications, their father indicated that they would be coming to reside with him. Their father arrived in the State in February 1998 and made an unsuccessful asylum application. He subsequently applied for permission to remain on the basis of parentage of a child born in the State on 29 October 1999. This permission was granted in October 2000.
Following the decision of the Supreme Court in the cases of L&O, the separate procedure which then existed to enable persons to apply to reside in the State on the sole basis of parentage of an Irish-born child ended on 19 February 2003. The Government also decided that the general policy of allowing such parents to be joined in the State by other family members would no longer apply. Accordingly, the immigration division of my Department does not generally approve visas in respect of such visa applications.