Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of foreign nationals that have entered Ireland on transit visas since 2010 in order to board vessels leaving this State and their countries of origin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5249/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Irish transit visas are issued by the Minister for Justice and Equality pursuant to Section 17 of the Immigration Act, 2004 to citizens of a state or territorial entity specified in Schedule 3 of Statutory Instrument No. 417 of 2012 for the purpose of passing through a port in the State in order to travel to another state. In the period 2010 to the end of 2012, 161 transit visas were issued for the purpose of joining a ship at a port in the State.

All persons arriving at an approved port of entry to the State, in possession of a transit visa, are required to present to an immigration officer for the purpose of making an application to land in the State, pursuant to the provisions of the Immigration Act, 2004. However, the Garda Síochána does not maintain a record of how many such persons were in possession of a transit visa so it is not possible to say how many of the visas listed above were actually used to join a ship at a port in the State.

The Deputy should note that Ireland is currently a party to the 1958 International Labour Organisation (ILO) Seafarer's Identity Documents Convention No. 108. Seafarers' identity documents issued by signatory countries to this convention are recognised by the Irish Immigration Authorities, insofar as such documents meet the required standards as prescribed under the Convention, in lieu of a visa. Therefore, seafarers from countries who are signatories to this Convention (or who were previously signatories of the 1958 Convention but who have denounced it in favour of the revised Convention No. C185 of 2003) are not visa required.