Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 June 2005
163 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the average length of time it takes to process applications for holiday visas in Irish embassies and offices abroad; if an application by a person (details supplied) in the Irish Embassy in Bangkok will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18528/05]
View answerThe Department of Foreign Affairs processes visa applications at its overseas missions in accordance with guidelines issued by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
In the case of certain categories of visas, the Department of Foreign Affairs has delegated sanction to issue visas without reference to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Where a visa application falls under delegated sanction, applications are normally approved either on presentation of the application or within three to ten working days, depending on the volume of processing work which a mission may have at any given time.
Where the application does not come within this Department's delegated sanction, the application is forwarded for decision to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. In these cases, the processing time is approximately six to eight weeks at present.
In the case which is the subject of the Deputy's inquiry, the application was only made to our honorary consulate in Bangkok on Wednesday, 25 May. As honorary consulates may not themselves approve visa applications, the application was forwarded by the consulate to our embassy in Kuala Lumpur and was received there on Thursday, 26 May.
As the application falls within the Department's delegated sanction, the embassy in Kuala Lumpur will process the application shortly. The applicant will be informed as soon as a decision has been reached.
