45. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current average processing times for visa applications, including family reunification and employment visas; the steps being taken to reduce delays; and to outline any specific measures to address cases raised by applicants in Galway East experiencing prolonged waiting periods. [49847/26]

I can advise the Deputy that my Department currently operates seven overseas Visa Offices in addition to the Visa Office in Dublin. These are located in Abuja, Beijing, London, Moscow, Ankara, Abu Dhabi and New Delhi. In addition, staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade process certain visa applications in Irish Embassies abroad under delegated authority from my Department.

I can advise the Deputy, that the current processing times of applications for join family visas varies depending on the circumstances when the application is made. If a non-EEA national is moving to Ireland because they have been granted a Critical Skills Employment Permit they can apply for join family visas at the same time as their own employment visa. When these visas are applied for together, they are processed in tandem and are typically completed in under eight weeks. My Department aims to process join family visa applications made in other circumstances within 12 months.

The business target reflects the detailed and often complex assessment that is required to be carried out in relation to applications for family reunification. The majority of join family visas receive a first instance decision within this business target. In 2025 the average processing time for all types of Join Family visa applications was 113 days.

In 2025 the average processing time for Employment and Hosting Agreement / Scientific Researcher visa applications was 44 days.

Processing times and decisions at the Visa Offices in Dublin and overseas can be checked at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions.

In December 2025, the Immigration Service of my Department introduced online payment functionality to my Department's online visa system. This allows applicants to pay visa fees as part of the online application process. The initiative is being rolled out on a phased basis and is currently live in 40 countries, with South Africa added in January 2026. This reduces the administrative burden on Irish Missions and visa teams, and allows visa officers to dedicate more time to core application processing and decision-making, contributing to improved processing efficiency over time.

Furthermore, the ongoing Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) modernisation programme is designed to support a more efficient, transparent and accessible immigration system. The recent establishment of dedicated teams for Application Submission and Join Family Case Processing are intended to help streamline workflows, reduce duplication and strengthen expertise, thereby improving the service delivery for join family visa applications.