Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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239. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if there are more decisions outstanding from the first round of the Irish refugee protection programme humanitarian admission programme (details supplied); the reason for the high refusal rate for same in view of the fact that there are a total of 530 places available on the programme; and if a second round of applications is open. [2455/19]

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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240. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if there are decisions outstanding from the first round of applications for the refugee protection programme and humanitarian admission programme; and the reason for the perceived extremely high refusal rate (details supplied) in view of the fact that there are a total of 530 places available on the programme and a second round of applications is currently open. [2477/19]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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250. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 448 of 15 January 2019, the number of applications received including those deemed incomplete by nationality. [2775/19]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 239, 240 and 250 together.

The Irish Refugee Protection Programme Humanitarian Admission Programme (IHAP), which I announced in May 2018, provides a new humanitarian pathway for eligible family members coming from the world’s top ten major source countries of refugees based on the UNHCR Annual Global Trends Report. The IHAP is part of the Government's plan to realise the full commitment of 4,000 persons agreed under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme in September 2015.

The IHAP provides for up to 530 vulnerable family members to be admitted under the programme before the end of 2019. The first IHAP window for proposals closed on 30 June 2018 and I recently announced the second window for proposals from 20 December 2018 until 08 February 2019.

Of the 908 proposals received during the first window a significant number from eligible countries were incomplete (694 proposals in respect of 1672 beneficiaries). I have been advised that INIS officials have provided individualised feedback to those whose proposals were incomplete  with a view to a new completed proposal being submitted during the current window. In addition, 94 proposals were refused for not meeting the following IHAP criteria:

- the proposer not having the right status - i.e not a refugee or a citizen,

- beneficiary was from a country not covered under IHAP

- was not living in their country of origin or a neighbouring country, or

- was not a family member.

The tables set out the total number of proposals received from eligible and non eligible countries and the numbers of completed proposals granted.

Finally, it should be noted that processing is nearing completion in respect of all proposals received in the first window, with a total of 28 cases which are undergoing final checks. It is anticipated that decisions will issue shortly in those cases.

Proposals from Eligible Countries

Proposals from Non-eligible Countries

Completed proposals and Grants from Eligible Countries