Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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481. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Irish Refugee Protection Programme Humanitarian Admission Programme proposals that were received in the second open call ending on 8 February 2019; the number of final decisions that have been made; the number of persons that have been granted permission to come here pursuant to the second open call; the number of proposals yet to receive a decision; and when it is expected that all proposals will receive a decision. [6551/20]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The  Irish Refugee Protection Programme Humanitarian Admission Programme 2 (IHAP), which I announced in May 2018 and which is operated and administered under my discretionary powers is a part of the Government's plan to realise the full commitment of 4,000 refugees agreed under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme in September 2015. Under IHAP, a commitment was made to admit 740 family members of refugees, of which 159 people have already arrived in Ireland as of the beginning of this year.  

The programme allows holders of International Protection Status in Ireland, (i.e. refugees with Convention or Programme Refugee status), holders of Subsidiary Protection grants, and Irish citizens, to make a proposal to me to bring to the State their family members who are nationals of one of the top ten major source countries of refugees as identified by the UNHCR Annual Global Trends Report.

The Irish Refugee Protection Programme Humanitarian Admission Programme 2 (IHAP) received proposals for inclusion in the programme within defined periods or ‘windows for submissions’. The first window for accepting proposals ran from 14 May 2018 to 30 June 2018. Processing of the proposals from this first window was completed in 2018.

The second window for accepting proposals under the IHAP ran from 20 December 2018 to 8 February 2019. In this second window 827 proposals were received in respect of 1,782 potential beneficiaries. To date final decisions have issued in 747 proposals, accounting for 1,597 potential beneficiaries. Of these proposals, 255 were granted in respect of 440 beneficiaries.

The remaining 80 outstanding proposals, in respect of 185 potential beneficiaries, are currently being processed. It is expected that these outstanding proposals will include both grants and refusals. Decisions will be issued in respect of the outstanding proposals in due course. It is intended to have these finalised before Q3 2020.