Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1578. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of family reunification applications received; the number approved; the number of dependants admitted under the International Protection Act 2015 for each of the years since 2019; and if he will publish the internal business case referenced in documents released to RTÉ under freedom of information. [45556/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1580. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality whether family reunification rights under the International Protection Act 2015 are being applied more broadly than the statutory definition in view of recent court rulings; and if he will set out his Department’s position on this matter. [45558/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1581. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will review the legislative framework on family reunification in view of the fact that approvals now average 2.5 dependants per applicant, effectively doubling asylum intake numbers. [45559/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1582. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality whether his Department has considered introducing thresholds or conditions, such as financial capacity, housing availability, or integration requirements, before family reunification rights can be exercised. [45560/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1584. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality whether persons that arrived in the State without identification documents are subsequently permitted to exercise family reunification rights; and if so, the way in which identity verification of family members is conducted in such cases. [45562/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1585. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the way in which Ireland’s family reunification provisions compare with those in other EU member states in terms of categories of relatives admitted and the average numbers approved per application. [45563/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1588. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the assessment made of the cost implications for healthcare provision associated with family reunification; and whether his Department has commissioned a service impact study on this matter. [45567/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1589. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if his Department has prepared an inter-departmental strategy, in cooperation with the Departments of Justice, Housing, Health and Education, to coordinate the arrival and integration of family reunification beneficiaries; and if not, if she will bring forward such a plan. [45568/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1578, 1580, 1581, 1582, 1584, 1585, 1588 and 1589 together.

I understand the Deputy is referring to Family reunification (FRU) as provided for in Section 56 of the International Protection Act 2015 which 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 which contains provisions on maintaining family unity. These provisions are under review in the context of reforms to asylum and migration policy and the implementation of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact.

My Department works closely with other Government Departments including through the new Strategic Migration Policy Group (SMPG) to ensure that migration policy is joined up across Government.

The Programme for Government commits to developing a new National Migration and Integration Strategy. Detailed work on this is ongoing through the SMPG and it is planned to publish this Strategy in the next year.

In relation to the cited court case, I can inform the Deputy that this case does not refer to Section 56 FRU applications. However, decisions on Section 56 applications are made strictly in line with existing legislation. Full information on the policy is available on my Department's website here: www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-join-family-in-ireland/family-reunification-of-international-protection-holders/.

Any person granted International Protection status is eligible to apply. The sponsor is required to complete a questionnaire regarding their family members. My Department will require evidence that demonstrates the family members' relationship and their identity. Furthermore, where a family member has been granted an FRU permission, they may also be required to make an application for a visa to travel to the State.

In relation to how Ireland compares to other EU countries when it comes to family reunification, it is important to note that Ireland is not party to EU Council Directive 2003/86/EC on Family Reunification. The EU Migration and Asylum Pact is a new EU framework to manage migration and asylum for the long-term. The overall objective of the Pact is to provide a fair, sustainable and efficient asylum procedure. This will be achieved through convergence in asylum practices across the EU. Ireland has opted in to Regulation (EU) 2024/1347, the Qualification Regulation. This Regulation sets out the rights available to those granted an International Protection declaration with regards to family reunification.

The new International Protection Bill, which will give effect to the Pact measures and will replace the International Protection Act 2015, will make provision for family reunification in accordance with the provisions on maintaining family unity set out in the Qualification Regulation.

In relation to the FOI cited, I can assure the Deputy that I am committed to enhancing transparency and effective communication of my Department’s work, including in the area of International Protection, and to publishing regular statistics on international protection.

Statistics on staff numbers at the International Protection Office (IPO) are published monthly on www.gov.ie/en/collection/48a28-international-protection-in-numbers/.

The International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) publish figures on staffing in their annual report which can be found here: www.protectionappeals.ie/annual-reports/.

In relation to funding, a programme breakdown is published in the Revised Estimates which can be found here: .

The Appropriation Accounts can be found here: www.audit.gov.ie/en/publications/appropriation%20accounts/appropriation-accounts-20231.html.

Table 1 below shows the number of FRU sponsor applications received and the number of family members associated with these applications from 2019, up to 01 September 2025.

Table 1

Table 2 below shows the number of FRU application decisions issued for family members, the number of family members granted an FRU permission, and the number of applications refused, deemed ineligible or withdrawn from 2019, up to 01 September 2025.

Table 2

**Decisions issued in any year may relate to applications which were received in previous years due to the time taken to process applications.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1579. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason records on additional staffing and funding for international protection applications were withheld until compelled by appeal under FOI; and if he will commit to ensuring that future asylum related data is published proactively and in full. [45557/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I can assure the Deputy that I am committed to enhancing transparency and effective communication of my Department’s work, including in the area of International Protection.

The matters raised by the Deputy relate to FOI-2024-0883 and included records relating to ongoing discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure concerning staffing needs and associated financial requirements.

As the Deputy is aware, the Freedom Of Information Act 2014 includes provisions setting out grounds for not releasing records in certain circumstances. If a requester is not satisfied with the outcome of the decision issued, they are entitled to appeal to the FOI body to re-examine their case, and to further appeal to the Office of the Information Commissioner if they remain dissatisfied at that point.

In this instance, the initial request for the records was lodged in 2024, and the Office of the Information Commissioner appeal was received in July 2025 meaning eight months had passed between the initial request, and the appeal. With this passage of time, and as the deliberations and discussions in question had advanced, some exemptions no longer applied, permitting some records to be released.

I can assure the Deputy that I am committed to publishing regular statistics and other information on international protection.

Statistics on staff numbers at the IPO are published monthly on www.gov.ie/en/collection/48a28-international-protection-in-numbers/.

The IPAT publish figures on staffing in their annual report which can be found here: www.protectionappeals.ie/annual-reports/.

In relation to funding, a programme breakdown is published in the Revised Estimates which can be found here: .

The Appropriation Accounts can be found here: www.audit.gov.ie/en/publications/appropriation%20accounts/appropriation-accounts-20231.html.