Mary Upton
Question:209 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position on an application for a holiday visa (details supplied). [16712/04]
View answerWednesday, 2 June 2004
Questions (216)
Written answers
The five persons in question made visa applications in May 2003. The applications were refused because it had not been established, on the basis of the documentation supplied to my Department, that the applicants would observe the conditions of the visas. It was noted the five visa applicants named the same Irish national as their sponsor in Ireland and stated he would help support them during their stay with him. The Irish sponsor's address was given as the address of destination. No prior existing relationship with the Irish sponsor was evident. No date was given for their departure from the State. An appeal against the refusal of the applications was received. However, the visa appeals officer, having re-examined the applications, upheld the original decision to refuse them.
The Deputy, in the details supplied, refers to a non-EEA national in Ireland who is a relative of the five adults and who invited them to visit him in the State. No mention was made of this person in the visa applications, nor is there a prior relationship between the five adults who submitted the applications to each other or to the person named by the Deputy. In this context, all five applicants indicated on their application forms that they would not be accompanied by other family members during their visit to Ireland. Each of the five applicants signed the declaration on the visa application forms to the effect that they understood all the questions relating to the application and that, to the best of their knowledge, the details they gave were correct and complete. This may not have been the case. It is open to the applicants to make fresh applications with up-to-date supporting documentation and the matter will be considered anew.