James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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100. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the process a person (details supplied) in County Longford should follow in relation to the Irish short-stay visa waiver programme. [20898/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Irish Short-stay Visa Waiver Programme was announced by the Government in 2011 as part of its Jobs Initiative with a view to promoting tourism from emerging markets. It was designed to allow tourism and business visitors to the UK to add on a visit to Ireland without the need for a separate Irish visa. Under the Programme certain visas issued by the authorities of the United Kingdom are recognised for the purposes of travel to Ireland. It permits nationals of eighteen countries (including Thailand) who are holders of Short Stay 'C' UK visas i.e. for the purpose of stays of up to six months only, to travel to Ireland, within the time remaining on their current leave to remain in the UK, without the requirement to obtain an Irish visa.

It should be borne in mind, however, that, as the Programme only applies to holders of Short Stay 'C' UK visas and it would appear, from the details supplied by the Deputy, that the person referred to is the holder of a Long Stay UK visa, she would therefore not come within the remit of the Programme. In such circumstances, the person in question would be required to be in possession of an Irish visa for the purpose of travel to the State. The visa application will be processed by the Visa Office at the Embassy of Ireland in London. Guidelines regarding the visa application procedures, and an information note on the Visa Waiver Programme, are available on the website of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service at www.inis.gov.ie.