Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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671. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of type 2 and 2A visas issued by the Garda north division in each of the years 2014 to 2016, and to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38646/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that it has not been possible to respond to the Deputy in the timeframe allowable. The matter is currently being examined and I will be in touch with the Deputy when further information is available.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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672. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the average processing time for long-stay visa applications here; the number of persons on waiting lists in this category; the area which has the highest number of applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38647/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department 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 processing times for visa decisions are published on the Visa pages of each Visa Office and Embassy website. The following table sets out the dates up to which applications received in the Dublin Visa Office have been processed, as well as the number currently awaiting decision.

It should be noted that target times for the processing of visas are established as a business target, reflecting the detailed and often complex assessment required to be carried out in relation to applications, and do not constitute a legal obligation. The processing time for visas in each location is determined by a number of factors, such as the volumes and complexity of applications, peak application periods and the resources available. While every effort is made to process such applications as quickly as possible, processing times inevitably vary as a result of these factors.

In relation to applications under the terms of the Free Movement Directive (2004/38/EC), the Deputy may wish to note that there has been an exponential increase since the second quarter of 2015 in the number of such applications. This has given rise to a current caseload in the region of 7,800 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 limited in what I can say on the matter.

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 relevant factors into account.