Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1186. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department conducted an assessment of the impact of family reunification arrivals on demand for social housing and emergency accommodation; and if additional housing units have been earmarked for this purpose. [45566/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Access to Family Reunification arrangements will depend on the nature of an applicant's legal residence in the State. A non-EEA national who has permission to remain in the State may also be entitled to family reunification for particular family members. The Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy Guidelines administered by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration outlines the different categories of non-EEA nationals who are entitled to family reunification and the family members who they may apply for reunification. 

Family reunification (FRU) as provided for in Section 56 of the International Protection Act 2015 allows people granted international Protection status to apply for certain family members to join them in the State. An application for FRU must be made by the sponsor within 12 months of them being granted an International Protection permission. The provisions of the 2015 Act on FRU give effect to the EU Directive 2004/83/EC on maintaining family unity.

As social housing support is intended to address a household’s long-term housing need it is expected that households applying for such support have a long-term right to reside in the State. It is the responsibility of the local authority, to make a decision in each individual case with regard to qualification for social housing support, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended and associated Housing Circulars. 

The annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA) provides details on the number of households eligible for social housing support whose need has not yet been met. The latest report is available at available www.housingagency.ie/publications/summary-social-housing-assessments-ssha-2024 

My Department publishes a quarterly progress report on the use of homeless emergency accommodation, which is based on quarterly performance reports submitted by the nine regional lead authorities responsible for the administration of homeless services at local level.  The reports include details of the numbers of individuals prevented from entering emergency accommodation, and those exiting emergency accommodation into tenancies, the duration of stay in emergency accommodation and new households who have presented and entered homeless accommodation. The quarterly progress report summarises the data submitted to my Department.   Family reunification as a reason for presentation has been included in the reporting since Q1 2024.  The latest report is available at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/homeless-quarterly-progress-report-q2-2025.