Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 6 September 2019
596. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of an application for family reunification in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35400/19]
View answerI am advised by the Immigration Service of my Department that a proposal under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme Humanitarian Admissions Programme (known as IHAP) was received from the person referred to by the Deputy.
The IHAP provides an opportunity for Irish citizens and persons with status (Convention refugee status, subsidiary protection status, and programme refugee status), who have eligible family members under the scheme, to make a proposal for these family members to join them here in Ireland. The IHAP focuses on family members from the top ten major source countries of refugees listed under the UNHCR's Annual Global Trends Report (currently Syrian Arab Republic, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Myanmar, Eritrea and Burundi).
The first call for proposals under the Programme was made in summer 2018, and 166 people were ultimately granted permission to come to the State. A second call for proposals issued last December, with a closing date for proposals of 8 February 2019. Over 800 proposals were received in this round in respect of over 1,700 potential beneficiaries. Processing of these proposals is ongoing.
The person referred to by the Deputy, submitted a proposal under the second call. The proposer was notified in writing of the decision in respect of this proposal by letter dated 11 July 2019.
As the Deputy may be aware, queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the Immigration Service of my Department 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 is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
