Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 June 2014
200. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if and when a family reunification application will be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25206/14]
View answerIn the absence of more information, including the names of the applicants themselves or the unique application numbers, it is not possible to respond to the Deputy in detail about the applications.
Generally speaking, in the case of a visa-required person who wishes to join a family member currently residing in Ireland, it is open to them to make a visa application, the onus resting with the applicant to satisfy the Visa Officer as to why the visa should be granted. All information that the applicant wishes to have taken into consideration should be included with his or her application.
The criteria that apply to the consideration of an application for a visa for the purposes of family reunification are set out in the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification published by my predecessor, Alan Shatter T.D., on 31 December, 2013. The document is available on the website of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (www.inis.gov.ie).
It should be borne in mind, however, that the information contained on the website is intended to act as guidance only. It does not limit the discretion of the Visa Officer in dealing with individual applications. If the people concerned have not made visa applications, it is open to them to do so on-line through the following link: https://www.visas.inis.gov.ie.
Queries in relation to general immigration matters may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
