Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the impact the new registration fee introduced by the Garda National Immigration Bureau is expected to have on educational tourism; if he has had discussions with the relevant Department highlighting the problems for tourism here of this new fee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33922/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The revised fee of €150 is effective in respect of all registrations by non-EEA migrants with the Garda National Immigration Bureau applied for on or after 23 August 2008. Since 19 August last, this registration system has been enhanced by the commencement of the roll out of a fingerprinting system for all persons who are required to obtain permission to reside in the State. Non-nationals who register from that date will have at least two fingerprints taken and these will be embedded in the biometric chip on their registration card. The costs of providing this system and the administrative costs associated with running it are substantial and this is reflected in the increased fee. An element is also included to reflect changes in inflation since the fee was introduced over two years ago.

The consent of the Minister for Finance, required under law, was obtained for the increased charge. The charge applies to all non-EEA migrants registering with the Garda National Immigration Bureau and special consideration of the interests of one sector would not be appropriate, all the more so where the new charge is largely related to increased costs of registration.

There is no suggestion that the increase will have an adverse effect on the numbers of people coming to Ireland for educational purposes. Firstly this charge only applies to non-EEA students coming here for more than three months. It does not apply where people are coming for shorter periods and it does not apply to EU nationals at all. Only a minority of educational tourists therefore pay the charge. For that minority the registration fee is a small fraction of the overall cost of their course fees and living expenses in Ireland.