2354. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the procedures used to verify the identity, age and claimed familial relationship of persons who enter or reside in the State on the basis of a claimed relationship to another person (details supplied); whether each person's identity, age and claimed relationship are independently verified; whether his Department records cases in which the claimed relationship is subsequently found to be incorrect, including cases involving claimed spouses or partners and claimed parent-child relationships; if so, the number of such cases from 2021 to 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61755/26]

I can advise the Deputy that proof of a family relationship is required for a spouse, civil partner, or de facto partner, and for all children included in any immigration application, including the children of a spouse, civil partner, or de facto partner. Applicants are responsible for providing the documentation required to demonstrate compliance with the criteria of the scheme.

The relevant division of my Department verifies identity and family relationships through official documents such as passports, birth certificates, and marriage certificates. In certain cases where reasonable doubt exists, applicants may be asked to provide DNA evidence to establish the relationship. Only DNA evidence obtained through a recognised service provider will be accepted, and the applicant must bear the cost of the DNA test. There is no obligation to submit a DNA test if requested. However, if an applicant decides not to submit a DNA test, a negative inference may be drawn and taken into account when a decision is being made on the application.

Any State-issued official documents, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, or divorce certificates, that were issued by a State outside the EEA or Switzerland must be attested or apostilled as genuine by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or equivalent authority, in the State that issued the document before they can be accepted as evidence for Irish visa purposes. Such documents must also be translated into English or Irish where necessary.

Applicants must provide a full certified translation into English or Irish of any documents that are not in either language. They must submit both the original documents and the certified translations.

My Department will also accept an extract of a European marriage certificate, issued in accordance with the Convention on the Issue of Multilingual Extracts from Civil Status Records, as proof of a marriage within the EEA or Switzerland.

Further details on how to obtain a certified translation of a document are available at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-make-a-certified-translation-of-a-document/

Any applicant who submits false, fraudulent, or misleading information or documentation:

- May have their application refused;

- May not be permitted to appeal that decision; and

- May be prevented from making any further Irish visa or preclearance application for up to five years from the date of the decision.

My Department does not collect statistics on the number of instances in which false, fraudulent, or misleading information or documentation is submitted.