Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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703. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if all those who apply for family reunification receive acknowledgement of their applications from her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45166/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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All applications for family reunification are acknowledged or receive a response once the application is initially examined. However, there may currently be some delay in doing so due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has had a significant impact on my Department’s Immigration Service Delivery (ISD). In line with Government and public health advice, ISD has implemented a suite of measures for the safety of our staff and customers to help in reducing the spread of the virus, which have impacted on the processing capacity of some units in ISD.

While there have been some delays, ISD has continued to accept and process applications for family reunification throughout the pandemic.

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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704. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the family reunification rights of Irish refugee protection programme humanitarian admissions programme, IHAP, refugees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45167/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department implements a policy whereby programme refugees, which includes IHAP beneficiaries, can apply for family reunification under the eligibility requirements and criteria as set out in the International Protection Act 2015. They can also apply for family reunification under my Department’s Policy Document on non-EEA Family Reunification.

The Irish Refugee Protection Programme Humanitarian Admission Programme (IHAP), announced in May 2018, is part of the Government's plan to realise the full commitment of 4,000 people agreed under the first phase of the IRPP in September 2015. The programme allows holders of an 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.

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. A second window for the submission of proposals ran from 20 December 2018 until 8 February 2019.

The first IHAP round granted permission to 165 beneficiaries. To date, the second round of the IHAP has granted permission to 591 beneficiaries.