Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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24. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if there has been a change in policy with regard to the working holiday visa agreement between Ireland and the United States; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40993/19]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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There has been no change in Government policy with regards to the Ireland-US Working Holiday Agreement.

Ireland and the US enjoy strong people-to-people links and this is amply demonstrated by the popularity of educational exchanges, extended working visas, such as under the working holiday scheme, and ever-increasing business transfers and secondments.

466 working holiday visas were issued by my Department in 2018. This is down from a peak of 528 in 2017 but still remains an increase of over 350 per cent from approximately a decade ago. Figures for 2019 have not been finalised but demand remains strong and young people in the US are increasingly seeing Ireland as a destination in which to study and gain professional experience.