Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 88: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the recent comments by the chief executive of the Coach Tourism and Transport Council that the State is losing significant jobs and revenue in the tourism industry due to visa requirements for countries such as China and India; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8624/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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While promotion of tourism in Ireland is primarily a matter for the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and associated agencies, I am aware of recent media coverage of comments by the Chief Executive of the Coach Tourism and Transport Council (CTTC). In fact, officials of my Department have already met with the Chief Executive of the CTTC to discuss matters of mutual interest and lines of communication in this important area will be kept open.

As with all visa services in all countries worldwide, the central concern is to strike an appropriate balance between protecting the country's vital national interests by maintaining an effective immigration regime, while at the same time not placing unnecessary or unreasonable obstacles in the way of those who intend travelling for legitimate purposes and who are likely to abide by the terms of their visa. Each visa application is decided on its own merits and I believe that, in most cases, my Department achieves this balance. Visa approval rates for some of the countries mentioned in recent media reports and, in particular, in some of the countries mentioned by the Deputy, bear this out. Approval rates for visa applications of all types processed through some Irish overseas Visa Offices in 2009 were :

New Delhi (serving India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal) - 90%.

Beijing (serving China, Cambodia, Mongolia) - 86%.

London (serving all visa required nationals based in the UK) - 98%.