Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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77. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on claims that once the International Protection Act 2015 is commenced there will be no safety net for refugees to bring their extended families here to safety. [40332/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The legal provisions for family reunification are set out in sections 56 and 57 of the International Protection Act 2015, which was signed into law by the President at the end of 2015 after its consideration by the Council of State and following its passage to through both Houses of the Oireachtas. The Act provides for a greatly simplified and shorter duration route to family reunification, for those who are in need of it, while continuing to protect the best interests of children in the process.

The new provisions, which bring this State into line with other EU Member States, provide specific rights to family reunification and a path to reunification for family members of those granted international protection which is less restrictive both in terms of application time limits and economic conditions than many other EU Member States. The fact that people seeking protection in the State can expect to have a decision within a significantly reduced timeframe under the new single application procedure will ensure that applications for family reunification are dealt with in a timelier manner, bringing more certainty to this previously open-ended process.

The Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification, published by my Department in December 2013, will be reviewed to examine the eligibility or otherwise of extended family members who are not governed by the provisions of the International Protection Act 2015.