Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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626. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of visa applications processed in each processing office in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6680/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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There are currently seven overseas Visa Offices in addition to the Visa Office in Dublin. These are located in Abuja, Beijing, London, Moscow, Ankara, Abu Dhabi and New Delhi. Additionally, the Department of Foreign Affairs processes certain visa applications in Irish Embassies abroad under delegated sanction from my Department.

The tables below set out the number of visa applications processed or decided in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the figures for 2020 and to date in 2021, reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the demand for and processing of visa applications. Most recently, as part of ongoing Government efforts to tackle the pandemic, new visa requirements have been introduced for passport holders from a number of South American countries and South Africa. The Order and the associated measures came into effect at midnight on 27 January 2021.

The Immigration Service of my Department has also temporarily ceased accepting new visa/preclearance applications, with effect from close of business on 29 January 2021. It is intended to resume accepting applications as soon as safety concerns abate. Certain Priority/Emergency cases will continue to be processed and these include the following:

- Workers or self-employed persons exercising critical occupations including healthcare workers, frontier and posted workers as well as seasonal workers as referred to in the Guidelines concerning the exercise of the free movement of workers during the COVID-19 outbreak;

- Transport workers or transport service providers, including drivers of freight vehicles carrying goods for use in the territory as well as those merely transiting;

- Patients travelling for imperative medical reasons;

- Pupils, students and trainees who travel abroad on a daily basis and Third-country nationals travelling for the purpose of 3rd level study;

- Persons travelling for imperative family or business reasons;

- Diplomats, staff of international organisations and people invited by international organisations whose physical presence is required for the well-functioning of these organisations, military personnel and police officers, and humanitarian aid workers and civil protection personnel in the exercise of their functions;

- Passengers in transit;

- Seafarers;

- Journalists, when performing their duties.

If an application falls into one of these categories, an application can be made online in the usual way.