Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 December 2012
328. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide the number of persons that have applied for, and the number of persons that have received a visa under the visa investment scheme programme, the start-up visa scheme, and any visa programmes available to senior executives coming to work in foreign owned companies based here. [55325/12]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Questions 52766/12, 52767/12, 52768/12 and 52769/12 and include the relevant extract from these replies below for the Deputy's information.
On foot of recommendations from the Evaluation Committee meeting of 9 August 2012, I have approved immigration permissions for one successful applicant under the Immigrant Investor Programme and two successful applicants under the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme. The Deputy will be aware that I cannot give details of individual immigration cases, however I will say that the three successful candidates originate from North America, Africa and Asia. Both projects under the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme fulfilled the requirement for a minimum of €75,000 funding for their respective high potential start-ups. The investment proposal in an existing Irish business approved under the Immigrant Investor Programme significantly exceeded the requirements of the scheme.
Most recently the Evaluation Committee has met to consider further applications under the Immigrant Investor Programme and the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme. However, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the outcome of those deliberations until the full application process has been completed and appropriate permissions have been issued. The matter of senior executives of foreign owned businesses coming to Ireland relates to intra-corporate transfers which is the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.
