Vol. 439 No. 6
43 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has had discussions with the Irish honorary consul in Turkey in relation to the difficulties and delays in obtaining visas for Turkish citizens to visit this country; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
46 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has had discussions with the Irish honorary consul in Bangkok in relation to the difficulties and delays encountered in obtaining visas for Thai citizens to visit this country; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 46 together.
My Department is in regular contact with our honorary consuls in Turkey and Thailand and their staff. Under the present system of handling visa applications, honorary consuls are obliged to refer all applications to Dublin for consideration. The majority of these applications, on receipt in my Department, are referred to the Department of Justice for decision. The procedure normally works well but inevitably difficulties and delays occur occasionally.
I understand that visas for business people from Thailand and Turkey are normally issued within one week. In the case of others, such as tourists and students, the normal waiting period is three to four weeks. We will continue to monitor the visa application process and, wherever possible, endeavour to reduce the waiting period for applicants.
