Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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94. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding visa requirements for citizens of the Russian Federation who are seeking to travel here; the number of Russian citizens currently resident here; if she has had any contact with her Russian counterpart since taking office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36003/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Visa applications from Russian nationals living in the Russian Federation are lodged at the Irish Embassy in Moscow and processed by the dedicated Irish Visa Office in Moscow, a sub-office of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service of my Department. This Office handles all aspects of the visa process for persons applying from that jurisdiction, including appeals.

It is open to a visa required national to make a visa application for any purpose, the onus resting with the applicant to satisfy the Visa Officer as to why the visa should be granted. All information that an applicant wishes to have taken into consideration should be included with their application.

Guidelines on the visa application process, including details of the required supporting documentation can be found on the INIS website at 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.

I am advised by INIS that the latest figures available indicate there were 1,478 citizens of the Russian Federation legally resident in the State in 2013.

I have not had the opportunity to meet with my Russian counterpart as yet.