Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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22. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her views that the financial requirements in the guidelines for the granting of family reunification visas disadvantage younger persons who have not had the same opportunity to earn sufficient income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27056/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Paragraph 8:3 of the Family Reunification document states "...it is not proposed that family reunification determinations should become purely financial assessments. Nevertheless the State cannot be regarded as having an obligation to subsidise the family concerned and the sponsor must be seen to fulfil the responsibility to provide for his/her family members if they are to be permitted to come to Ireland".

This sets out the rationale for the policy very clearly. While economic considerations are not the sole criteria to be considered and there is always scope to look at exceptional circumstances, it is reasonable for the State to expect a person seeking to be regarded as a sponsor for another person's immigration to Ireland to demonstrate capacity to support them. Age does not change that principle. It should be noted also that this in no way prejudices the right of the person seeking to come to Ireland to apply in their own right through one of the various immigration channels open to them, for example as a student or employment permit holder.

I should say that the policy position set out above is in line with the family reunification policies of immigration regimes across the EU and of other developed countries worldwide.