Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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141. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties experienced by members of the Defence Forces (details supplied) who have served as part of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force mission in Syria in obtaining visas to visit the United States; if he will raise this matter with the United States authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23580/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The processing of U.S. visas is solely a matter for the U.S. authorities and my advice to those seeking to apply for a U.S. visa is to get information from the website of the US Embassy in Dublin and to engage with them directly on their application.

On the broader question of Irish Defence Forces personnel who may have difficulties travelling to the US because of travel overseas as part of their peacekeeping duties, I have asked my officials to ensure the US authorities have relevant information about our deployments in order to inform their decision making.

More generally, I am aware that any applicant who is denied an ESTA for the US can apply for a visa through the US Embassy. I understand that ineligibility for an ESTA based on travel to Syria, or any of the other countries listed under the restrictions for US Visa Waiver Programme eligibility, does not necessarily constitute an ineligibility for a visa.