Migrant workers will soon be able to bring their families to Ireland under new rules which will allow their spouses to work, according to the Minister for Justice.
Michael McDowell said he would bring a memorandum to Government within a fortnight that would change the rules for the family reunification of migrant workers.
Legislation will not be necessary as the rules are now based on ministerial discretion and practices that have built up.
At present if an immigrant worker wants to bring his or her spouse and children to Ireland, he or she must prove that they have an income above the threshold that would entitle them to payment of family income supplement (FIS).
Immigrant workers' organisations have said that, given that many immigrant workers are paid the minimum wage, this can be very difficult. The obligation to prove an income above the FIS limit is combined with the denial of a right of the spouse to work.
"You will see a different approach in the coming weeks and months to the right of spouses to work," Mr McDowell said.
He added that the vast majority of the people who had applied to stay in Ireland as the parents of Irish-born children born prior to the constitutional amendment that deleted the automatic entitlement to citizenship for all children born in Ireland would be allowed to stay here.
"Eighteen and a half thousand have applied to remain in Ireland. Of these 97 or 98 per cent will be staying. . ."