Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to reform the immigration system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16627/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Government's plans for the immigration system are outlined in the Programme for Government which commits to the introduction of comprehensive reforms to the immigration, residence and asylum systems including a statutory immigration appeals mechanism, which will articulate rights and obligations in a transparent manner.

Deputies will be aware that the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2010 has been restored to the Dáil Order paper. It is my intention to bring forward amendments to the Bill at Committee Stage. One of my main objectives is to provide for a transparent and efficient immigration system which will support the overall economic and social goals of the Government. This will be complemented by a commitment to fair procedures for migrants supported by the statutory appeals mechanism which I have asked my officials to develop. Programme for Government

The Programme for Government also elaborates on programmes in key sectors which will be supported by specific immigration initiatives.

I have announced Ireland's first formal Visa Waiver Programme as an integral part of the Government's Jobs Initiative. The Programme will permit nationals of 16 specified countries who obtain a short term visa for the UK to visit Ireland without the need to obtain an Irish visa. In addition special arrangements will be put in place to facilitate visits by nationals of those 16 countries who are long term residents in the UK. The programme, which is designed to encourage tourism to Ireland, will commence on 1 July 2011 and will operate on a pilot basis until October 2012.

The launch of the Education in Ireland brand underpins the Government's commitment to encourage more international students to study in Ireland and to create new jobs in the sector. Our target is to double the number of international students studying in Ireland with a particular focus on students from India, China and the Middle East. To that end we will overhaul the student visa regime and ensure that advertising, diaspora policies and quality assurance systems are strategically developed to best position the international education sector. I am aware that a lot of work has already been done in this area and in some cases it is a matter of bringing that process to a speedy and successful conclusion.

We will also look at the immigration regime to see what we can do to provide further encouragement to postgraduates and researchers. We will also permit postgraduate students to be allowed to work in Ireland for up to a year after they complete their studies. High-value research students will be permitted to bring families if they are staying more than two years.

Investment and Entrepreneurship

I am also of the view that we need to look at how we can use the immigration system to tap into the entrepreneurial capacity of current and future migrants and also to bring investment into Ireland. The current regime, which has been in operation for a number of years, has been reviewed by my Department and it is considered to be insufficiently flexible in a number of areas, including the financial investment threshold and the employment targets. Furthermore, the existing system does not really cater for the needs of innovation start-up enterprises which will often initially employ only the principals or for high net worth individuals who would be willing to make a significant investment in the country in return for being allowed to reside here. Draft proposals in these areas are under discussion at present. Public Sector Reform

The commitments regarding the immigration system will be underpinned by the Government's programme for public sector reform. In addition to the independent appeals mechanism which I have already spoken of, we will examine the structures which deliver immigration policies with a view to improving overall performance and added value for the taxpayers. [This will include examining the level and range of application fees for immigration permissions with a view to recovering a reasonable portion of the administrative costs associated with processing applications.

The Deputy will also be aware of the commitment in the programme for Government in relation to the potential transfer of responsibility for the Passport Office to my Department. Citizenship and Naturalisation

I have committed to the efficient processing and determination of citizenship applications within a reasonable period of time and I have recently announced major reforms to the citizenship processing regime which include a 6 month turnaround on naturalisation applications and the introduction of a formal citizenship ceremony.