Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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331. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding a temporary visa for Ukrainian citizens (details supplied) from the conflict area in Ukraine living in Dublin 3; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5455/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) in my Department, that there is no specific programme in place for residents of the Ukraine to travel to escape the conflict there. It is, of course, open to the family of the Irish citizen concerned to apply at any time for a visa to travel to Ireland. Any such application will be considered taking all the circumstances of the applicant(s) into account. However, the Deputy will be aware that our visa system is not intended to be a protection system.

Visa applications for Ukrainian nationals are processed by the dedicated Irish Visa Office in Moscow, which is a sub-office of INIS. This office handles all aspects of visa applications. Where it is unsafe or difficult for applicants to travel from their region to Kiev to submit their supporting documentation (including passports) to the Irish Honorary Consulate there, they may submit this documentation by post or courier directly to the visa office in Moscow or to the Irish Embassy in Warsaw.

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 the applicant wishes to have taken into consideration should be included with his or her application.

Guidelines on the visa application process, including details of the required supporting documentation can be found on the website of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service of my Department 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.