Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

What we have seen in recent months and years is a significant increase in the number of people applying for work visas or for reunification, and in the number of people applying for international protection. The number of Ukrainian people who are seeking assistance here has also continued to grow over the past number of years. That obviously puts pressure on a system. We try to make sure that any application is dealt with as quickly as possible from our side. Where somebody is going through a vetting process, that can take time and we cannot put a particular timeline on it.

In 2022, looking specifically at those looking for employment permits, the average processing time for type D employment - scientific and research visas, for example - was 18 calendar days, whereas type D employment and scientific visas in 2023 was 21 calendar days. That is just one example to compare where something has gone from 18 to 21 calendar days.

More broadly, we have significantly increased the number of people working in the visa sections in my Department. That is to respond to the increase on all fronts, as I have mentioned. That is why I think this process is so important, that one does not have people having to go through two separate processes, and where one is potentially elongated for whatever reason, that adds to the overall timeline. People can be lost, as they go elsewhere and look at different countries. That is why it is important from the point of view of our competitiveness in attracting skilled workers that we have a simple, short, effective process. It is one that should be online as well, so that it is paperless and people can apply no matter where they are in the world. Work is progressing and I hope to have a report on this early in the new year, and it means we can then start moving once we have the recommendations from the interdepartmental group.

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