Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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605. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the current and expected position regarding an application for visas by persons in County Kildare (details supplied). [38395/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that on-line visa applications were made on 28 October, 2015. However, the supporting documentation has not yet been submitted to the Abu Dhabi Visa Office for processing.

It is open to the applicant concerned to apply at any time for a visa to travel to Ireland 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 the application. Any such application will be considered taking all the circumstances of the applicant into account. However, the Deputy will be aware that our visa system is not intended to be a protection system.

Guidelines on the visa application process including details of the required supporting documentation can be found at www.inis.gov.ie

If the applicants are resident in Syria, they need to submit their applications to the Syrian Honorary Consul in Damascus and it will be referred to the Irish Visa Office in Abu Dhabi. If they are unable to submit it there, they can submit it to one of the other Irish Embassies or Consulates in the surrounding area or directly to the Irish Visa Office in Abu Dhabi. Further information can be found on the website of the Irish Embassy in Abu Dhabi at www.embassyofireland.ae

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 his 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.

In addition, applicants may themselves e-mail queries directly to INIS (visamail@justice.ie).