Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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445. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to issues relating to the United States' visa waiver programme being experienced by Irish and other peace-keeping personnel who have previously served with the United Nations in the Middle East (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54762/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department has been made aware of the challenges that some active and former members of the Irish Defence Forces have experienced in applying for US visa waivers (ESTA) due to travel they have undertaken, as part of their official duties, to Syria or other countries designated ‘countries of concern’ by the US Department of Homeland Security.

US immigration regulation and operations are a matter solely for the relevant US authorities, and the Department of Foreign Affairs is not in a position to intervene in decisions taken in relation to ESTA applications. However, officials from my Department have engaged with the US Embassy on the broader implications for members of the Defence Forces who wish to visit the United States. Following consultations with the US Embassy, my Department is preparing general advice on this matter for current and former members of the Defence Forces.

More generally, I understand that ineligibility for an ESTA does not automatically make an individual ineligible for a US visa, and that any applicant who is denied an ESTA for the US can apply for a visa through the US Embassy.