Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 June 2014
474. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the shared visa system between Ireland, China and India also includes Taiwan; if this is not the case can it be extended to include Taiwan in view of the success of previous visa initiatives with that country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26938/14]
View answerThe British Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS) between Ireland and the United Kingdom, which I announced on 16 June last, is targeted at short-term visitors and business persons from visa required countries. As Taiwanese nationals are not required to have a visa to enter Ireland, they already in effect benefit from the new Scheme. The aim of the BIVS Scheme is to facilitate and promote legitimate travel to Ireland and the UK by visa required tourists and business visitors while also strengthening the external border of the Common Travel Area (CTA). The Scheme will allow travel to, and around, the CTA on a single visa. Currently, visitors planning to travel to Ireland and then on to the UK have to apply in advance for separate Irish and UK visas. BIVS will dispense with this requirement by allowing visitors to Ireland to enter the UK (including Northern Ireland) on foot of their Irish visa. Furthermore, it will also allow spontaneous trips from Ireland to the UK, including, for example, day trips to Northern Ireland.
The Scheme builds on the success of Ireland's Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme, introduced in 2011, which allows nationals of 18 countries (including China and India) to travel from the UK to Ireland using their UK visit visa. The Deputy may wish to note that Ireland also operates a very successful Working Holiday Authorisation Scheme for Taiwanese nationals who wish to travel to the State for a period of 12 months for the purposes of leisure, study or work, In excess of 250 Taiwanese nationals availed of this Scheme in 2013 and indications are of an even greater uptake this year.
