Written answers
Thursday, 1 May 2025
Department of Justice and Equality
Departmental Data
Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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300. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of non-nationals have applied for stamp 4 residence permission on the basis of their child’s status in each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21837/25]
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I can inform the Deputy that a non-EEA national may apply for residency in the State on the basis that they are the parent to an Irish or EU citizen child.
If a visa required non-EEA national wishes to move to Ireland and is the parent of an Irish or EU citizen child, they must apply for, and be granted a visa prior to travel. This application must be made from outside the State.
Any non-visa required national can present directly at a port of entry with the necessary documentation, and can then apply to the Registration Office of my Department for an immigration permission.
Statistics on those that arrive in the state to take up residency on the basis of their EU or Irish citizen child are not available. While the Registration Office record each individual immigration permission application with the category of the stamp 4 being granted, sub-totals of such categories are not currently recorded.
Where a non-EEA national, already legally resident in the State becomes a parent to an EEA national child, they may be eligible and wish to apply for permission to remain in the state based on this relationship. They will need to apply to the EU Treaty Rights Division of my Department. Table 1 below outlines the number of such applications received from 2022, up to 31 March 2025.
If the child is an Irish citizen, they can apply directly to my Department's Registration Office for an immigration permission. Table 2 below outlines the number of such applications received from 2022, up to 31 March 2025.
Further information on the application process and eligibility criteria are available on my Departments Immigration Service website at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/my-situation-has-changed-since-i-arrived-in-ireland/the-parent-of-an-irish-citizen-child/#Eligible.
Table 1
Year | Parent of EU Citizen Child Applications received |
---|---|
2022 | 65 |
2023 | 103 |
2024 | 174 |
2025 (Up to 31 March) | 39 |
* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing
Table 2
Year | Parent of Irish Citizen Child applications received to DRP division |
---|---|
2022 | 531 |
2023 | 607 |
2024 | 417 |
2025 (Up to 31 March) | 89 |
* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing
Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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301. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applicants that have applied for residence permission for their spouse/ partner under the ‘de factor relationship with an Irish National’ process in each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21838/25]
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I can inform the Deputy that a De facto partnership is where a non-EEA national is in a long-term relationship but is not married to, or in a civil partnership, with the sponsor.
If a non-EEA national wishes to move to Ireland as a de facto partner, they must apply from outside the State and be granted permission prior to travel.
Visa required nationals will need to apply for a Join Family visa, while non-visa required nationals must apply for pre-clearance in advance of travelling.
For individuals already resident in the State on an existing immigration permission and who are eligible for De facto partnership permission, they can apply to the Domestic Residence and Permissions (DRP) division using the online portal, which can be accessed here: .
Further information on the requirements and application process are available on my Department's Immigration Service website at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/my-situation-has-changed-since-i-arrived-in-ireland/de-facto-partner-of-an-irish-or-non-eea-national/#who.
Table 1 below outlines the number of people who applied for either a visa, or pre-clearance, to enter the State as a de facto partner of an Irish citizen from 2020, up to 31 March 2025.
Table 2 below outlines the number of De facto applications received by the DRP Division from 2020, up to 31 March 2025.
Table 1
Year | Join Family (Irish nat.)(de facto partner) | Preclearance – Join Family (Irish nat.)(de facto partner) |
---|---|---|
2020 | 29 | 1 |
2021 | 64 | 77 |
2022 | 53 | 71 |
2023 | 39 | 57 |
2024 | 55 | 54 |
2025 (Up to 31 March) | 12 | 19 |
* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing
Table 2
Year | De Facto Relationship |
---|---|
2020 | 308 |
2021 | 320 |
2022 | 391 |
2023 | 369 |
2024 | 567 |
2025 (Up to 31 March) | 233 |
* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing
Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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302. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of successful applicants that were granted Stamp 4 permission to reside in the State for each of the years 2020-2025 inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21839/25]
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The table below shows the number of Stamp 4 immigration permissions registered with the Registration Office of my Department from 2020 to 2024.
The figures relate to both first-time registrations and renewals processed in a calendar year. Data for 2025 is not yet available.
Year | Stamp 4 |
---|---|
2020 | 38,736 |
2021 | 47,110 |
2022 | 70,583 |
2023 | 90,609 |
2024 | 127,962 |
Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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303. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applicants who have applied for subsidiary protection in the years 2022-2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21840/25]
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The International Protection Office (IPO) is responsible for processing applications for international protection under the International Protection Act 2015. As part of the single procedure process, the IPO considers refugee status, subsidiary protection and permission to remain for each application. Individuals who apply for international protection are therefore applying to be considered for subsidiary protection as part of the same application process.
The number of applications for subsidiary protection are therefore the same as the number of applications for international protection, as detailed in the table below:
International Protection Applications 2022 - 2025 | |
---|---|
2025 | 3,947 |
2024 | 18,557 |
2023 | 13,266 |
2022 | 13,643 |
*To 27th April
**Figures correct at time of issue and may be subject to data cleansing.
If it is decided that a person is not a refugee, they may qualify for subsidiary protection.
This is a status which in some ways is similar to that of refugee. It is granted where the person does not qualify as a refugee, but where the person faces a real risk of suffering serious harm in his or her country of origin.
The precise definition of subsidiary protection according to the International Protection Act 2015 is that a person eligible for subsidiary protection is a person
- who is not a national of a Member State of the European Union,
- who does not qualify as a refugee,
- in respect of whom substantial grounds have been shown for believing that he or she, if returned to his or her country of origin/country of former habitual residence, would face a real risk of suffering serious harm, and who is unable, or, owing to such risk, unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of that country; and
- who is not excluded from eligibility for subsidiary protection for certain reasons.
Under the Pact current international protection decision process will be replaced by a streamlined single first-instance decision on refugee status, subsidiary protection, and return/permission to stay followed by a single appeal to cover refugee status, subsidiary protection, and return/permission to stay.
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