Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 June 2014
472. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when a decision will be made by her Department on a visa application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Sligo whose family is based in Pakistan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26900/14]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the visa applications referred to by the Deputy were lodged at the Honorary Consulate in Karachi on 17 December 2013, received in INIS, Dublin on 30 December 2013, and are currently being assessed. These applications are for visas to enter the State for family reunification purposes. All applications for long term settlement in Ireland require in-depth consideration and, as set out in the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification published by my predecessor on 31 December 2013, will (assuming all required information has been submitted) be dealt with within 6 months or 12 months depending on the nature of the applications.
If further documentation or clarification of any matter related to the applications concerned is required, the visa officer will be in touch with the applicants at that time. Otherwise, they will receive letters informing them of the decision on their applications in due course. 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.
