The devastating economic legacy inherited by this Government demands that
we fundamentally re-examine what we do and look for new approaches. Our
economic difficulties may be daunting but they also present us with an
opportunity to question existing practices, how we do business and the role
of Government Departments.
For too long Government has made piecemeal decisions and policy has
developed on a fragmented departmental basis. The traditional economic
Ministries have usually exclusively addressed economic issues and other
Ministries have concentrated on their discrete areas of responsibility.
Neither the Department of Justice nor the Department of Defence would, in
the past, have been perceived as having something substantial to contribute
to economic growth or job creation in the private sector.
Insofar as the Department of Justice has impacted on the economy, it has
been essentially in a regulatory sense - for example, in the context of
prescribing the rules applicable to publicans and off licences or relating
to the legal profession or to insolvency. Yet decisions made in these
areas impact not just on public order issues or on curtailing unacceptable
practices within the legal profession or in protecting creditors, they also
impact on how business operates, on the capacity of business to create and
sustain jobs and on the wider domestic economy. There are a broad range of
initiatives that can be taken in the Justice area not only to modernise and
reform our laws and increase competition in a manner that ensures we
properly address the issues and dilemmas of this 21st century but also to
ensure our laws do not act as a barrier to growth and recovery and
contribute to job creation.
It is not only a question of law reform. There is much that can be done in
how we administer our existing laws and improve administrative practices
that can contribute to economic development, reduce the costs of Government
and generate confidence in our future. Reforming inefficient bureaucratic
practices no longer fit for purpose has much to contribute and I will
return to this theme another day.
In the area of innovation, research and development, business start ups and
job creation I believe also that, in addition to playing their important
traditional roles, the Department of Defence and our Defence Forces have
much to contribute. I visited the Naval Base at Haulbowline in Cork on
Monday and the National Maritime College of Ireland and I am hugely
impressed with the links between the Navy, the College and innovative small
companies developing products in collaboration with the Naval Service, to
the benefit of the Service, that have the potential to create substantial
employment in the future and contribute to our export growth. There is a
great deal more that can be done in this area by companies collaborating
with our Defence establishment to the benefit of our Defence Forces, as a
contribution to economic growth and to the overall benefit of the country.
This is an area I intend as Minister of two great Departments of Government
served by talented public servants to vigorously pursue.
I now want to turn to the specific initiative I am announcing today with
regard to the area of visas which are the responsibility of the Department
of Justice. It has been my view for some time that there is a need to
ensure that our visa regulatory framework does not act as a barrier to our
expanding our tourist industry and as a disincentive to potential visitors
to this State. In the context of the dramatic contraction that has occurred
in the number of tourist visitors to Ireland I believe it is vital to
ensure that this State is an easily accessible and attractive holiday and
business destination and that the tens of thousands who visit the UK as
our immediate neighbour have an incentive to also spend some time with us
on this island. Whilst the UK and American markets have been a central
focal point for our tourist industry, I have for some time believed that a
lot more can be done to attract tourists to this State from growing and
emerging markets and to make visits here a good deal easier.
In this context, I am very happy to announce the details of a very
significant initiative in the area of visa liberalisation. The programme
will be on a pilot basis but it is capable of being extended if all goes
well.
As things stand, a person who is coming to the UK for a short term visit
and who needs a visa from the UK authorities makes an application and pays
the necessary fees. However if that person wants to include Ireland on
their itinerary they require a separate visa and have to repeat the same
form filling and procedure with the Irish authorities and await the
decision on their visa application. They also have to pay the Irish visa
fee. It is not difficult to see how this can be a disincentive to those
who might want to consider a trip to Ireland as an “add-on” to the UK.
Given the large number of tourists annually visiting the UK and, in
particular, those who will visit for the 2012 Olympics, Ireland risks
losing out on a substantial tourism spin off.
We also have people from visa required countries who come to the UK to do
business and who presently might, for the same bureaucratic reasons, be
dissuaded from flying to Ireland for additional business meetings.
The nature of the new arrangement is as follows:
Nationals of 14 countries, who ordinarily need a visa to enter the State
(at a cost of €60), who obtain a visa to enter the UK for a short term
visit up to 180 days and want to travel from there to Ireland will not
require an additional visa for Ireland. The countries to whom the scheme
applies are as follows.
Nationals from Eastern Europe;
ü Belarus
ü Montenegro
ü Russian Federation
ü Serbia
ü Turkey
ü Ukraine
Middle East
ü Bahrain
ü Kuwait
ü Qatar
ü Saudi Arabia
ü United Arab Emirates
Other Asian Countries
ü India
ü Peoples Republic of China
ü Uzbekistan
This list will, of course, be kept under review in the light of experience
and other countries may be added to it over the course of the programme.
This is a major change in public policy – it is the first time that Ireland
has contemplated such a programme and, as such, it is proposed that it be
pilot-tested from July of this year to October 2012.
From the perspective of potential visitors it saves them the inconvenience
of applying for visas and all the associated (but necessary) form filling
and document submission. Additionally, there are significant cost
savings, for example; if a family of 4 from, for example, India want to
travel to Ireland as part of trip to London, the cost of visas to them
currently would be €240. This will be zero from July. Last year
approximately 30,000 people were issued visas from the participating
countries to come here. These visitors helped to provide and maintain jobs
in our economy. This new measure provides the potential for substantial
growth in our visitor numbers and a much needed boost for our tourism
industry.
This is not a simple stroke of a pen measure. Immigration is a complex
issue and anytime you want to bring in changes you have to think very
carefully about what you are doing. Immigration abuse is a major issue
with potential to expose the exchequer to very substantial losses if you
get things wrong. However, my officials have looked at the potential risks
and are satisfied that the way the scheme is set out addresses any concerns
that there might be in that area. Of particular importance is that the
persons concerned have already entered the UK legally on foot of a valid
visa and having passed through immigration control there.
The Common Travel Area between Ireland and the UK is a cornerstone of the
close relationship between
our two countries. It has survived many threats
over the years and remains alive and well. It has been a major influence
in economic development, commerce and tourism and is indispensable to tens
of thousands of people on this island as they go about their daily lives.
Today's announcement will serve to further underscore that close
relationship and our common interest in protecting, nurturing and enhancing
it. What makes the Common Travel Area possible is the close co-operation
between our two countries in immigration and security matters and in
protecting our collective borders. I believe that the measures I am
introducing will enhance the potential of the Common Travel Area to deliver
economic benefits to this State.
I am not, of course, going so far as to suggest that these measures will
transform our tourism industry but they have the potential, if properly
followed through, to significantly increase our tourist visitor numbers. Of
course, the vast majority of our tourists presently come from the UK, the
rest of the EU and the United States and they don’t need visas at all.
What these measures will do is allow the industry to pursue with confidence
new opportunities in emerging markets for “add on” tourism from people
going to the UK. The pilot period for the new scheme will include the
London Olympics. Together with the availability of cheap online flights and
ferries, it should open up the possibility of attracting a significant
number of new visitors to this State at low cost to them. It will also
help tourism on an all Ireland basis so that key market visa required
travellers in Northern Ireland can now come south as part of their trip.
The new arrangements announced today are both a challenge and an
opportunity to all airlines and shipping companies that provide services
between Ireland and the UK to target for new business the 14 countries
named and I look forward to their responding to this new opportunity to
create new customer markets.
In addition, special arrangements will be put in place to facilitate visits
by nationals of the listed countries who are long-term residents in the UK
and for visitors on cruise liners. In the case of the latter, the
Department has very recently agreed a set of procedures with
representatives of cruise liners which will facilitate the easy embarkation
of passengers at ports. It was indicated that over 80 cruise liners – some
with over 2,000 passengers – are likely to call at Irish ports this season.
While the need for immigration control is undiminished I am committed to
the Department of Justice and Equality taking on an increasingly proactive
role in using our immigration system as a tool to assist economic
development. We will do so in a sensible way in consultation with
colleagues and will use the accumulated expertise in immigration matters to
inform policy changes. Any changes we make will be very carefully
considered.
I do not see these reform measures as the end of a process but rather as a
significant new beginning and an important milestone in the Justice
Department’s contribution to the roadmap to recovery. There are more
things we want to do in this area. For example we have to look at how we
can configure our immigration system so that it does more to encourage
entrepreneurship and investment. My Department is drawing up proposals in
this area at present and will be working through these with the relevant
stakeholders shortly.
We are also working on revamping our immigration categories to provide a
more diversified set of permissions that can be better tailored to cater
for different migration scenarios.
We will continue to reform the student immigration system, working in
tandem with the Department of Education and Skills and the State Agencies
involved in the promotion of Ireland as a high quality destination for
international students.
The message I want to send today as the Minister responsible for
immigration is the same as from other parts of Government. “Ireland is
very much open for business”. I am happy that my Department is able to
make a significant contribution to that overall strategy and that it will
continue to do so into the future.