Family Reunification

Wednesday, 29 March 2023

Questions (154)

Holly Cairns

Question:

154. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the number of family reunification applications under the terms of the International Protection Act 2015 received by his Department in 2022, by month received, in tabular form; if he will provide the number of decisions issued per month on family reunification for the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15502/23]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice

Family reunification as provided for in the International Protection Act 2015, gives certain family members of a qualified person, the sponsor, an immigration permission allowing them to enter, remain and reside in the State with the sponsor.

An application for family reunification must be made by the sponsor within 12 months of them being granted an International Protection permission and is subject to the provisions of the International Protection Act 2015.

My Department received 760 family reunification applications for 2,245 family members under the International Protection Act 2015 in 2022.

The table below gives the number of applications received, including the number of family members encompassed in those applications, broken down by month.

2022		Received	Decision (subjects)
	Primary Applicants	Subjects
Jan-22	80	253	179
Feb-22	53	161	76
Mar-22	49	143	48
Apr-22	53	143	129
May-22	67	246	97
Jun-22	71	202	132
Jul-22	71	191	146
Aug-22	74	199	86
Sep-22	81	247	156
Oct-22	73	200	187
Nov-22	54	154	113
Dec-22	34	106	82
2022 Total	760	2,245	1,431*

*Decisions issued in any month may relate to applications which were received in a previous month or year due to the time taken to process applications.

Information on how to apply for family reunification as provided for in the International Protection Act 2015 is available on my Department's website here: www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-join-family-in-ireland/family-reunification-of-international-protection-holders/