Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 12: To ask the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport the discussions she has had with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform regarding the difficulties surrounding visa arrangements for visitors from emerging markets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27212/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Foreign visitors to Ireland from many of the countries identified as "New and Developing Markets" require visas to enter Ireland. Tourism Ireland's review of New and Developing Markets - including India, China and 17 other markets - in late 2007, found that visitors from these markets stay twice as long as the average holidaymaker, have the highest spend per visit and have a higher propensity to travel throughout the island of Ireland. The review also highlighted the potential for increased tourism from Asia and the Middle East and set significant targets – to attract a total of 475,000 visitors from New and Developing Markets by 2013. While these targets were set in a very different global economic context, they highlight the long-term potential of these markets.

To exploit fully the opportunities presented, Ireland needs to be competitive on all fronts. Clearly, the ability of potential visitors to secure the necessary visas in an efficient and cost-effective manner is an important element of our competitiveness. In that context, the relevant Recovery Actions recommended by the Tourism Renewal Group in its Framework for Action put forward several options to explore, having regard to the complexity of immigration policy and administration.

As the Deputy will be aware, immigration policy is primarily a matter for my colleague the Minister for Justice and Law Reform and its implementation is a matter for the relevant authorities, including the Garda National Immigration Bureau and the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service. My Department has engaged with the Department of Justice and Law Reform in relation to these and related issues on an ongoing basis, most recently while following up on the Report of the Tourism Renewal Group. I have also written directly to my colleague the Minister for Justice and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern TD, on the matter. Furthermore, following on from his address to the Irish Hotels Federation at the beginning of March, An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen TD, has also asked the Department of Justice and Law Reform to explore practical solutions to the current difficulties.

In addition to contact at Ministerial and Departmental level, I understand that Tourism Ireland has been engaged in active dialogue with the Departments of Justice and Law Reform and Foreign Affairs to develop a visa strategy in relation to tourism and to try to progress certain administrative measures to facilitate tourism from New and Developing Markets. For example, following a meeting between Tourism Ireland and the Department of Justice in April, I understand that good progress has been made in relation to ADS (Approved Destination Status) groups visiting from China, including the waiving of visa fees to Ireland for groups who already have a UK visa. I am also advised that it is no longer necessary for a visitor from China to provide a notarised certificate showing they have no criminal record.

Tourism Ireland also liaises closely with the visa offices in all of its overseas markets in relation to the level of demand for visas to Ireland and other shared operational issues. This year, Tourism Ireland, in conjunction with the visa offices in markets such as China and India, is running visa training seminars for the travel trade. The Deputy will appreciate that migration and border controls are complex and sensitive, affecting not only tourism of various kinds but also labour market policies and inward investment, within the overall context of sovereignty. However, I am confident that, working in partnership, the immigration authorities and the tourism bodies can ensure that the visitor experiences of Ireland compare well with any of our competitors.