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Visa Agreements

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 November 2013

Tuesday, 5 November 2013

Questions (746)

Timmy Dooley

Question:

746. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress he has made in seeking a new agreement on shared visitor visas with the UK; if there are any further countries with which he is considering seeking such an agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40839/13]

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Written answers

The Irish short-stay Visa Waiver Programme for holders of certain categories of UK visa, which commenced in July 2011, is a demonstration of the Government's determination to maximise, to the greatest possible extent, the economic potential of the Common Travel Area (CTA). The Visa Waiver Programme allows persons from seventeen designated countries to travel to Ireland on the basis of a UK visa and it has proved very effective in attracting increased numbers of visitors from emerging tourist markets. The number of participating countries in the programme is kept under review. Figures from Tourism Ireland indicate that the total number of trips to Ireland by residents of countries covered by the programme increased by approximately 38% in the 18 months after the programme was introduced. In addition, in relation to China and India alone, Tourism Ireland advises that some 55 new tour operator programmes to Ireland have been developed as a result of the introduction of the waiver programme. These programmes alone have contributed to over 13,000 additional visitors to Ireland from India and China.

Building on success of the Programme, work is continuing in partnership with the UK Home Office on the development of short-stay CTA visa arrangements to allow tourists and business visitors to travel to the CTA, with first arrival in either jurisdiction, and thereafter to travel freely throughout the CTA. It is planned for the roll out of such visa arrangements to commence in 2014. These initiatives have been universally welcomed by tourism bodies and tour operators particularly those operating in emerging markets. Prior to its introduction, the necessary technical and operational arrangements, including the capture of biometric data (fingerprints) in electronic format for visa applicants, need to be put in place between the two jurisdictions.

As Ireland does not participate in the border control aspects of Schengen it will not be possible to enter into similar visa arrangements with other EU Member States at this time. I have set out in response to previous Parliamentary Questions why it is not possible for Ireland to join Schengen while the UK does not. In effect, it would involve dismantling the Common Travel arrangements that currently allow free movement between ourselves and the UK. It would also mean that Northern Ireland would become the external border of the Schengen area. The reality is that we cannot operate a common travel area with the UK with all the benefits that brings and unilaterally be part of the Schengen zone at the same time.

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