Deirdre Clune (Fine Gael)
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I am glad to have the opportunity to raise the issue of visas for Chinese visitors to this country, whether for business or tourism. This issue was raised in the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade last week when the CEO of Asia Matters made a presentation to the committee on the potential for tourism and trade in Asia, and China in particular, in areas such as financial legal services, innovative technologies and food and drink technology. We were made aware of this last year when we had a visit from the new Premier of China to this country last year. There are also opportunities and huge potential in the areas of education, tourism and culture.

China is currently the fastest growing economy in the world and will soon become the world's largest economy. It is home to an estimated 535,000 high net worth individuals who will travel. The United Nations world tourism organisation has said that travel expenditure by Chinese people last year was ¤58 billion, making it a very important market for us. I acknowledge the fact that last year the Taoiseach extended the visa waiver scheme for Chinese tourists visiting Ireland until October 2016. This scheme allows Chinese visitors staying in the United Kingdom to come to Ireland without the stress of having to apply for an additional visa. However, the UK system is cumbersome. It involves a nine-page form being filled out, a visit to an immigration office in China - these offices are not widely available - the taking of fingerprints and eye scans. The system is quite cumbersome and the visa costs £80, 50% higher than for the Schengen countries.

We should consider the number of Chinese people visiting Europe each year. Some 600,000 visit France, 400,000 visit Germany and 200,000 visit the United Kingdom. Those who visit France and Germany are in the Schengen area and can travel freely within that area. A campaign taking place in Britain currently highlights the fact its visa system for Chinese visitors is cumbersome. It does not serve us well. We need to stand on our own in this regard. It was recommended at the committee last week that Ireland should be the first country to introduce a 90-day visa for all Chinese visitors. The days of believing that all these people want to do is come here and stay forever and dodge the system are gone. We should recognise that people genuinely want to come here to do business and they are very important for us.

The Minister will be aware that Professor Fan Hong, the director of the school of Asian studies in UCC, has strong views on the issue of visas and of how difficult and cumbersome obtaining a visa can be for visitors. This is an issue that we have the potential to resolve. We should be putting something in place that benefits us directly.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I thank Senator Clune for the opportunity to outline, on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, the numerous positive developments that have taken place with regard to the Irish visa regime since the Government came into power, in particular the developments relating to China.

The available evidence indicates that visitor numbers to here from China grew by 26% last year. Such a significant rise in business would not suggest that there is a major problem with the manner in which the necessary paperwork is processed. The Minister is advised that the checking procedures and processes in place are at least on a par with the United Kingdom, with whom we share a common immigration area, and less onerous than those in place for many other EU member states. Clearly no system is perfect, particularly a system which relies to a large extent on the supporting information supplied in order to risk assess applications. If the Senator has a particular case in mind or has suggestions which would further improve the situation, while at the same time maintain sensible immigration checks, the Minister would be glad to receive them from her.

The commitment of the Government to the facilitation and growth of visits to Ireland from China is shown by the fact that the Irish naturalisation and immigration service of the Department maintains a dedicated visa office in Beijing. This office processed approximately 6,000 visa applications in 2012, with an approval rate of 94% which compares very favourably internationally. Application guidelines for all visa categories are published on the Irish Embassy website in English and Chinese. Chinese nationals who wish to travel to Ireland as tourists have a number of options available when seeking to apply for a visa to Ireland. They can apply as part of an approved destination scheme, ADS, group tour, for an individual tourist visa or for a visit visa, which is normally used for visiting family members. Several measures have been introduced in the past number of years to encourage this type of tourism to Ireland, resulting in an ADS visa being now one of the most straightforward and quickest Irish visas to obtain, with processing times of less than three working days normally.

In recognition of the growing numbers of affluent and independent tourists from China, a scheme to enable independent Chinese travellers to come to Ireland was introduced in November 2011. The category was formally launched by the Taoiseach during the course of his official visit to China in April 2012. The visa application requirements for independent tourists are minimal and I am informed that Tourism Ireland has welcomed this initiative. This category of visa application is processed within 10 working days.

As a further demonstration of our commitment to the Chinese market, the Government launched, with effect from 1 July 2011, the first ever Irish short-stay visa waiver programme. The programme was designed to boost tourism and business, especially from emerging markets, and it applies to holders of UK short-stay visas from 17 selected countries, including China. It also allows tourists in possession of a UK visa to travel on to Ireland without the need to apply for a separate Irish visa. The Government decided in March 2012 to extend the programme until the end of October 2016. This programme has led to a significant growth in the number of visits to Ireland from China. According to Central Statistics Office figures, in the 12 months following its introduction, the number of trips from China increased by over 26%, from 12,314 to 15,572, an extra 3,258 visits.

This demonstrates the positive impact of the Government?s initiative. In addition, with effect from 1 August 2012, a more liberal multi-entry visa regime for Chinese business travellers and regular family visitors was implemented. This regime compares favourably with the approach taken by our nearest competitors. For example, it allows qualifying businessmen to get a three-year multi-entry visa for ¤100, which compares with the $180 charge imposed by the USA for the same duration. All of these initiatives demonstrate that the Government is pursuing an ongoing and creative approach to the development of a visa system that facilitates tourists who wish to come from China to Ireland, rather than putting obstacles in their way. I agree with the Senator that we must insist on getting our share of the huge market emerging in China. We must not put obstacles in the way of Chinese people who wish to visit this country.

Deirdre Clune (Fine Gael)
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I repeat that it is not as easy to get a visa to enter the United Kingdom, with which we have certain ties, as it is to get a visa to enter other European countries. As I said, that can be a hindrance for us.