I propose to take Questions Nos. 981, 983 and 984 together.
The Government's focus is to maximise to the greatest possible extent the potential of the Common Travel Area. This is evidenced by the visa waiver programme for holders of certain categories of UK visa, which this Government introduced in July 2011. In the twelve months following the introduction of the programme, visits from the countries covered by it increased by 21% over the preceding twelve months. The Government has also taken other steps to make the visa process easier including making greater use of multi-entry visas for regular tourist and business visitors from targeted markets including China, the UAE and Russia.
Building on these measures, work is ongoing on the development of short-stay Common Travel Area (CTA) visa arrangements which would allow tourists and business visitors to travel to the CTA, with first arrival in either jurisdiction, and thereafter to travel freely both within the island of Ireland and between Ireland and the UK. In other words the outer perimeter of the CTA would operate, to quote the Deputy's own words, like a mini-Schengen and represent a historic breakthrough in the manner the CTA operates. It is planned for the roll-out of such a visa to take place in mid-2014. Prior to its introduction, the necessary technical and operational arrangements, including the capture of biometrics for visa applicants, needs to be put in place between the two jurisdictions. These initiatives have been universally welcomed by tourism bodies and tour operators particularly those operating in emerging markets.
Ireland has not applied to participate in those aspects of the Schengen Aquis that provide for the abolition of internal border checks. This decision has been taken to maintain the CTA with the UK which remains a priority for Ireland. The population of the island of Ireland are Irish citizens and a significant proportion of people in Northern Ireland identify themselves as such and carry an Irish passport. The operation of the CTA facilitates citizens of Ireland and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to move freely within the CTA. Of course, nationals of the European Union as well as Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland enjoy extensive free movement rights as a matter of EU law and the operation of the CTA does not interfere with these rights.
The fact remains that the CTA could not continue to operate if Ireland were to participate in the Schengen agreement on border controls while the United Kingdom did not. To do so would result in a situation where the land border with Northern Ireland would become the external border of the Schengen area. Ireland would be required to apply the Schengen agreement provisions on the external border and to impose systematic checks and monitoring on all persons travelling to Ireland from the UK by air, sea and land. This is obviously something that no Irish Government would seriously contemplate. The reality is that we cannot operate a common travel area with the UK and unilaterally be part of the Schengen zone at the same time.