Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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359. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the details of the changes to the temporary protection scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50461/26]

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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The Government has agreed to introduce an alternative residence permission for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection who wish to remain in Ireland independently and who satisfy certain eligibility criteria.

It is proposed that applicants would be required to have been resident in Ireland for at least one year as a Beneficiary of Temporary Protection, have independent accommodation, have been in employment or self-employment for a period of at least six months immediately prior to application and have an annual gross income of at least €29,432.

The permission would be granted for a period of up to two years and would be renewable thereafter. Time spent on this permission would be reckonable for the purposes of an application for Irish citizenship by naturalisation, subject to the requirements of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Acts.

The alternative permission is not intended to replace Temporary Protection but to provide an additional pathway for those who are eligible and who wish to remain in Ireland on an independent basis. Persons who do not satisfy the eligibility criteria will continue to benefit from Temporary Protection and its associated rights and entitlements while the Temporary Protection Directive remains in effect.

While Temporary Protection is in place until March 2027, there may be further extensions to the directive which will be agreed at EU level. As mentioned above, Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection will remain entitled to this protection while the Directive is in effect.

Further details of the scheme will be published in due course.

Separately, the non-EEA Family Reunification Policy sets out how Irish citizens and most non-EEA Irish residents may apply to bring non-EEA family members to live with them in Ireland. Changes were made to the policy, following a review, on 26 November 2025 and again on 12 June 2026.

The latest version of the policy document is available here: www.irishimmigration.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Family-Reunification-Policy-12-June-2026.pdf

Financial thresholds for Irish citizens applying to be joined by spouses/partners and children increased from a gross income over 3 years of €40,000 (€13,333 per year) to €75,000 (€25,000 per year). This reflects increases in the cost of living since the figure was set in 2013, and is intended to limit any future migrant reliance on state supports, on which the sponsor must not have been mainly reliant in the two years prior to application. There is also now a requirement for sponsors not to be in certain supported accommodation.

I wish to advise the Deputy that declared and verifiable savings by the family member or sponsor may also be taken into account in assessing cases that fall short of the thresholds.

Additionally, income earned in another jurisdiction by an Irish national may be considered, on a case-by-case basis, towards financial thresholds, except where the application is regarding a dependent adult relative other than a spouse, civil partner or de facto partner (e.g. a dependent parent, or a dependent adult child). An important consideration in such cases will be that the sponsor is in a position to continue meeting the thresholds into the future, for instance by having verifiable future employment in the state with a sufficient salary.

An important consideration in all family reunification applications is the ability of the sponsor to demonstrate a clear capacity to provide for their family members if they are to be granted a permission to come to Ireland. The purpose of the revised Policy is not to deter people from making applications, but to ensure that people who are sponsoring an application have sufficient resources to provide for their family, without the reliance on State funds.

Further information on how to join an Irish spouse or partner in Ireland is available here: www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-join-family-in-ireland/joining-an-irish-national/.