Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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451. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if an Egyptian citizen legally residing in an EU member state within the Schengen area for PhD research, who gets a short or long stay visa for Ireland through the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service for visiting academic purposes, is entitled to use the same visa for entry to the UK for similar purposes; if the same situation of reciprocity for an Egyptian citizen in similar circumstances who has a similar visa from British authorities will be acceptable to immigration authorities here, or if a separate visa is required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16487/14]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The rules governing entry to the UK are a matter for the UK authorities and possession of an Irish visa does not affect any visa requirements that that jurisdiction may have in place.

The Short-stay Visa Waiver Programme, launched by the Government on 1 July 2011, allows persons from eighteen designated countries granted leave to enter the UK (i.e. granted a “UK visa”) as a general visitor, child visitor, business visitor, academic visitor or sporting visitor to travel to Ireland within the period of validity of their leave to remain in the UK without the requirement to obtain an Irish visa. Egypt is not, however, one of the designated countries. Therefore the Egyptian national concerned, irrespective of whether he or she is in possession of a UK visa, requires an Irish visa for travel to the State.

The Deputy may wish to note that my officials are working with their UK counterparts on the development of reciprocal short-stay Common Travel Area (CTA) visa arrangements which will allow tourists and business visitors to travel to the CTA, with first arrival in either jurisdiction, and thereafter to travel freely between Ireland and the UK. In summary, the arrangement will be a form of mutual recognition of each jurisdiction’s visas rather than a new form of visa. This mutual recognition will allow for entry and free movement around the CTA, including between Ireland and Northern Ireland, on the basis of a single visa. Whether that single visa is an Irish visa or a UK visa will depend on the first point of entry to the CTA. It is planned for the roll-out of these arrangements to commence in Autumn 2014.

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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452. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if an Armenian citizen who is legally residing in the United Kingdom, an EU member state and inside the common travel area is allowed use their passport and proof of residence in the UK for entry to Ireland for a three-day academic conference, or if a full visa is required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16488/14]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Based on the information provided by the Deputy, the person referred to will require an Irish visa to travel to Ireland. The application should be made on-line at www.inis.gov.ie with the supporting documentation submitted to the Irish Visa Office at 114a Cromwell Road, London, SW7 4ES.

Comprehensive information on the visa application process is available on the website of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (www.inis.gov.ie). It should be borne in mind however that the information contained on the website is intended to act as guidance only. It does not limit the discretion of the Visa Officer in dealing with individual applications.

Queries in relation to general immigration matters may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.