Senators send family reunification bill to committee stage

Despite the Government’s opposition to the International Protection (Family Reunification) (Amendment) Bill 2017, Senators voted 23-18 in favour of putting the bill through to committee stage.

Addressing the Seanad, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said the bill would “reverse some of the reforms” recently introduced in the International Protection Act 2015.

He said the Act “was debated at length in both Houses of the Oireachtas” and passed by the Seanad with “widespread support”.

Mr Flanagan also warned that there had been no “analysis of the practical and cost implications” of the new bill.

He told Senators: “The operation of the provisions in the proposed Bill in Ireland today would create a situation where Ireland would stand-apart from the rest of the EU and in particular to the UK.

“The introduction of the Bill could act as a potential pull-factor and undermine the integrity of the Common Travel Area at a time of sensitive discussions on shaping the post-Brexit environment.

“These are the broader considerations which, as a responsible Government, we have to take full account of.”