Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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97. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the average length of time to process visa applications; if he will provide a breakdown between the different types of visas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29283/17]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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98. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applications for visas with the INIS to date; if he will provide a breakdown of the different types of visas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29284/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 98 together.

I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the statistical information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. The total number of applications include those received up to the end of May (being the latest figures available), while processing dates are current as of 21 June.

I am also advised that decisions regarding the grant or refusal of visas are made in a number of INIS Visa Offices overseas, the INIS Visa Office in Dublin, and at Embassies of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which process certain visa applications under delegated sanction from my Department. The waiting times for visa decisions are published on the Visa pages of each Visa Office and Embassy website. However, it should be noted that target times for the processing of visas are established as a business target and do not constitute a legal obligation. These business targets reflect the detailed and often complex assessment that is required to be carried out in relation to applications.

As the Deputy will know, there has been an exponential increase since the second quarter of 2015 in the number of applications under the terms of the Free Movement Directive (2004/38/EC). This has given rise to a current caseload in the region of 9,000 applications overall which have to be assessed very carefully to ensure that any fraudulent applications or potential abuses of the Directive are detected and dealt with appropriately.Legal proceedings in relation to a number of similar such applications are currently before the courts, and accordingly, the Deputy will appreciate that I am greatly limited in what I can say on the matter.

More generally, the processing time for visas in each location will vary based on a number of factors such as the number of applications, seasonal pressures, the complexity of the applications, whether further information or investigation is required, and the resources available. While every effort is made to process such applications as quickly as possible, processing times inevitably vary during the year and from one location to another.

The central concern, as with all visa services worldwide, in deciding on visa applications is to strike an appropriate balance between protecting the country's vital national interests by maintaining an effective immigration regime, while at the same time facilitating travel for those who meet the criteria. Each visa application is therefore decided on its own merits taking all factors into account.