Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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151. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to considerable delays processing visa applications at the New Delhi visa office; the reason for these delays; the number of personnel employed in the office in each of the past five years; the number currently employed; the measures underway to tackle the backlog of visa applications and to bring down waiting times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28468/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the New Delhi Visa Office is currently experiencing high volumes of visa applications due to seasonal demands at this time of year. This is in line with similar trends from previous years and, more generally, an increase in visa applications from people wishing to come to Ireland for a whole variety of reasons.

That said, I am informed that business and conference visas are currently being processed within two to eight days. Study visas at this time are being processed within three weeks. Employment and visit visas are currently within the time-frame of four to seven weeks.  Processing times for long stay visas invariably take longer and are generally determined by the volume of applications received, the particular merits of individual applications, their complexity, whether the need to investigate or enquire further, and the time taken to receive applicant responses.   

The Deputy can be assured that every effort is made to keep processing times to a minimum, and a number of measures have been put in place to deal with the expected demand this summer.  This includes the assignment of additional staff to help process these applications, and more generally the streamlining of visa processing where possible. 

The total number of staff currently assigned to the Visa Office is fifteen, and includes five Department of Justice and Equality staff who have been seconded to the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT). Certain staff are recruited locally by DFAT and this number has doubled since 2013.  The position in this regard continues to be kept under review.