Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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54. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality to review decisions made under the Syrian humanitarian admission programme to refuse family reunification visas (details supplied); the number of such visas she has issued since the programme began; and if she is satisfied that the guidelines are being applied consistently. [16495/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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In 2014, Ireland introduced a Syrian Humanitarian Admission Programme (SHAP). The SHAP offered naturalised Irish citizens of Syrian birth and Syrian nationals already legally resident in Ireland an opportunity to make an application for vulnerable close family members to join them in Ireland for up to two years under a sponsorship programme. A key condition of the Programme was that these persons should not become a burden on the State. If the family members could not find employment the onus was on the sponsor to support them during their time in Ireland. 103 visas were issued to applicants wishing to avail of the programme.The programme closed in April, 2014. I am satisfied that the published guidelines were applied consistently during its term.

I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that the persons referred to subsequently submitted visa applications to the Irish Visa Office in Abu Dhabi. These applications were considered under the terms of the Policy Document on non-EEA Family Reunification and were refused on 4 May, 2016. It is open to the applicants to appeal this decision within 2 months of the refusal date.