Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 163: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in regard to residency in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10695/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I refer the Deputy to my detailed Reply to his recent Parliamentary Question, No. 224 of Thursday, 18 December 2008, in this matter. The position in the State of the person concerned is as set out in that Reply.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 164: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in regard to residency status in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10696/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned applied for asylum on 8 February 2006. His application was refused following consideration of his case by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and, on appeal, the Refugee Appeals Tribunal.

Subsequently, in accordance with Section 3 of the Immigration Act, 1999 (as amended), the person concerned was informed, by letter dated 31 August 2006, that the Minister proposed to make a Deportation Order in respect of him. He was given the options, to be exercised within 15 working days, of leaving the State voluntarily, of consenting to the making of a Deportation Order or of making representations to the Minister setting out the reasons why he should be allowed to remain temporarily in the State.

Representations have been submitted on behalf of the person concerned and these representations will be fully considered, under Section 3(6) of the Immigration Act, 1999 (as amended) and Section 5 of the Refugee Act, 1996 (as amended) on the prohibition of refoulement, before the file is passed to me for decision.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 165: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in regard to residency status and family reunification in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10697/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I refer the Deputy to my reply to his previous Parliamentary Question number 221 of the 6 March 2008.

I am informed by the Immigration Division of my Department that the person in question was granted Refugee status and made a Family Reunification application in respect of his wife and two children in June 2007.

This application was forwarded to the Refugee Applications Commissioner for investigation as required under Section 18 of the Refugee Act 1996. This investigation is completed and the Commissioner has forwarded a report to my Department.

This application will be considered by my Department and a decision will issue in due course.

A further application was received in January 2008 in respect of another child, this has been forwarded to the Refugee Applications Commissioner for investigation as required under Section 18 of the Refugee Act 1996. This investigation is completed and the Commissioner has forwarded a report to my Department. This application will be considered by my Department and a decision will issue in due course.

At the present time Family Reunification applications are taking approximately 24 months to process.