Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 October 2010
250 Deputy Deirdre Clune asked the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the steps he will take to address the delays experienced by persons applying for holiday visas from outside the Schengen area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29182/10]
View answerI am informed by Visa Officials in my Department that there are no delays currently in the processing of "holiday" visas. Visa applications are processed as speedily as possible having regard to the numbers on hand and the resources available to process them. Although the INIS website states that visa applications are processed in six to eight weeks, in fact most applications are processed much faster than that. In our dedicated overseas offices, all types of visit visa applications, including holiday-type visas, are processed typically in two to three weeks. Currently "holiday" visas referred to Dublin are generally being turned around within four to five weeks of receipt in Dublin. The aforementioned timeframe is often less for non-complicated applications.
As regards the Schengen area, the Schengen Convention is an agreement among some European Member States which allows for the abolition of systematic border controls between the participating countries. Ireland has not, however, applied to participate in the Schengen arrangements to the extent that they deal with the abolition of border checks. This decision has been taken to maintain the common travel area with the United Kingdom which remains an important priority for the Irish Government.
