Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 289: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the average time for processing applications in respect of family reunification; the number of applications and the length of time on the waiting list of the longest pending application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46053/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the current waiting time for the processing of applications for family reunification is approximately 24 months.The total number of applications on hands is 1998. The Family Reunification Unit of the INIS received 734 new applications in 2007, while a further 672 new applications were received up to November 2008.

The additional resources that were allocated to the Family Reunification Unit in the middle of 2008 have had a positive effect in the number of applications processed, as is clearly evident from the following table.