Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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1711. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the process for MedEvac Palestinians with Stamp 4 visas to apply to have family members join them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47498/25]

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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My Department has been supporting the Minister for Health and the HSE facilitating the evacuation of children out of Gaza via Egypt.

I appreciate that those who have been medically evacuated are eager for their family members to join them in Ireland. Originally, the Gaza Medevac Initiative only provided for the evacuation of one child and one accompanying family member or carer.

However, in practice, my Department facilitated the arrival of additional family members in many cases on a humanitarian basis. In July, it was agreed by Minister O'Callaghan and the Minister for Health to put this approach on a formal basis. This means children arriving under the Gaza Medevac Initiative can be accompanied by both parents and their minor siblings or adult dependent siblings and those already in Ireland can apply for join family visas to be reunited with their family members.

It remains my position and that of my Department that the families brought to Ireland under the Gaza Medevac Initiative should not be separated. However, while my Department can grant visas for eligible family members to travel to Ireland, it is unable to provide practical assistance to family members who are seeking evacuation directly from Gaza.

Visa applications can be made through the Department’s online visa system AVATS, supported by relevant documentary evidence, including the appropriate family relationships to the patient. The Visa application process for family members is set out on my Department’s website and the relevant link is provided here for ease of reference.