Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 January 2022
1315. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice the steps a person can take to have an elderly dependent relative who is from a non-EEA country join them in Ireland particularly in cases in which the person does not have an after-tax income of €60,000; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2205/22]
View answerIf a person is an elderly relative of a non-EU/EEA or non-Swiss citizen and they wish to join their family member in Ireland, it may be open to them to apply for permission to reside under Stamp 0 conditions.
Stamp 0 may only be granted if they can prove that their relative, in Ireland, can support them financially and otherwise. The financial requirements to allow a person to sponsor an elderly dependent relative are set out in Chapter 18 of the Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy Document available on my Department's Irish Immigration website (www.irishimmigration.ie).
The sponsor must hold an appropriate permission and must also be registered with immigration. Stamp 0 is subject to several conditions and limitations. For example, it does not allow the person to access any public services, such as health services or public hospitals.
It is of course entirely understandable that an Irish citizen or a non-EEA national lawfully resident in the State would wish to have their elderly parent residing with them so as to ensure their wellbeing as they get older and for the general enrichment of family life. However, it must also be acknowledged that the potential financial liability for the State of providing medical treatment, perhaps nursing home care and other services to an elderly person who is unable to support themselves is very considerable.
The Irish State is not in a position to take on financial responsibilities of this nature, and should not be expected to do so. However, each case must be viewed on its particular merits to see if there are circumstances that would warrant a positive decision. The onus must however be on the family to show that there is no viable alternative to the parent(s) coming to Ireland.
Given the level of risk, which cannot be fully mitigated by undertakings of financial support by family members, the financial thresholds for earnings to support an elderly dependent relative must be high enough to meet the foreseeable expense. Therefore, a sponsor of an elderly dependent relative will need to have earned in Ireland in each of the three years preceding the application an income after tax and deductions of not less than €60,000 in the case of one parent and €75,000 where two parents are involved. Where the elderly dependent relative has a guaranteed income into the future this can be used to partially offset the financial limits (bearing in mind however that a person with a sufficient personal income for their needs cannot reasonably be regarded as financially dependent).
