Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 October 2016
159. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to set out the reason visa processing has been outsourced to a company (details supplied) in the following eight countries: China, Peru, Nigeria, India, Ghana, Pakistan, Turkey and Hong Kong; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32134/16]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that a number of steps were taken in recent years to upgrade the visa processing system to make it more efficient and easier for visitors from abroad to submit their visa applications for travel to Ireland. Principal among these has been the introduction of the British Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS) which enables visitors coming to either country to travel freely between the UK and the Island of Ireland on a single visa. This has proven hugely beneficial in attracting increasing numbers of tourist and visitors to our shores.
As part of the implementation of the BIVS, Ireland has partnered with the UK to enable visa applications to be initially lodged at a large number of centres in China and India and to also have biometrics captured at these centres. The use of these Centres provides greater accessibility to applicants in these countries as they can make visa applications at locations nearer to them. They also greatly increase the visibility of Ireland as a destination for tourism, business or education purposes across a wider geographical area in very large countries or countries where our consular representation is not physically present. For example, in India there are a total of twelve Centres established across the country where applications for both Irish and United Kingdom visas can be made and where initial processing of documentation is carried out. Similar arrangements apply in China where applications for Irish visas can be submitted in one of thirteen Centres (including Hong Kong).
The applicant can choose the Centre most convenient to their home or business address, and for a small extra charge, can choose to have the visa returned by courier to their home or business address. There is also a facility for group bookings to facilitate applicants who are travelling together to Ireland. It is intended over time to expand the use of such facilities in order to provide better services to potential travellers to Ireland.
These facilities are provided to accept visa applications and supporting documents for transfer by courier to an INIS staffed Visa Office or Irish Embassy for processing by Irish civil servants. The company has no involvement in the decision making process for a visa application which is undertaken only by Irish civil servants of my Department. Applicants may also collect their visas and documents from the Centre following completion of processing. I understand that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have established similar facilities in other locations referred to by the Deputy and operate on a similar basis.
