594. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of approvals issued under the Afghan Admissions Programme; the number of persons that have arrived in Ireland to-date in 2025 under the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56973/25]

595. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to detail the supports in place to assist persons who arrived in Ireland under the Afghan Admissions Programme; if their sponsor can no longer financially support them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56974/25]

596. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the details of the path to Irish citizenship for persons who arrived in Ireland under the Afghan Admission Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56975/25]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 594, 595 and 596 together.

In 2021, my Department opened the Afghan Admission Programme (AAP) in response to the humanitarian situation in that country. This programme allowed Afghan nationals already resident in Ireland to apply to bring their close family members to join them, upon satisfying the relevant programme criteria.

The AAP closed on 11 March 2022, and my Department received 532 applications in respect of 1,549 potential beneficiaries.

The AAP unit commenced issuing decisions in the last quarter of 2022. To the end of September 2025, 339 positive decisions have issued in respect of more than 984 beneficiaries.

One of the conditions of the programme is that sponsors must have sufficient financial resources to support all of their successful beneficiaries from the date of their arrival in the State, until they are able to support themselves. The sponsor must also be in a position to arrange and pay for necessary travel arrangements for all beneficiaries for their travel to the State.

I can advise the Deputy that the AAP is not a visa category recorded by my Department, therefore the exact data requested is not available.

It is open to any individual to lodge an application for a certificate of naturalisation if and when they are in a position to meet the statutory requirements as prescribed in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.

Applicants are required to have 5 years reckonable residence in the State prior to making an application, except for spouses of Irish nationals where the requirement is 3 years. In all cases, the final 12 months must be continuous residence in the State with up to 70 days allowed to facilitate foreign travel for business family or holiday purposes.

Detailed information on how to apply for naturalisation and other resources is available here: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/