Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 300: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of persons who were processed by the visa office in December 2005; the number of different countries which were represented amongst persons applying for visas; the number of translators of different languages which were available in the office during those working hours. [3846/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The total number of visa applications processed by the visa office in Dublin in December 2005 was 1,670. While precise statistics on the number of countries in question are not available, the countries of origin from which most applications were received were: Pakistan, 311; Nigeria, 251; India, 176; Philippines, 134; and Romania, 161. It is not normally the practice of the visa office to make use of translators, since visa applications and supporting documentation are usually presented in English.

Since 3 January 2006, responsibility for the visa office in Burgh Quay has been transferred to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.