Madam, – From April 5th, the EU Visa Code will become applicable in the 22 EU member states that form the Schengen visa area. It will reduce the visa costs for some third-country applicants to €35. The visa to visit only the Republic of Ireland remains at nearly twice that price. The EU Visa Code will lower the cost of a child’s visa to enter all 22 countries to €35. A visa for those same children to visit our 26 counties remains at €60.
Our EU neighbours, who already operate a swift system to allow tourists and investors into their countries, will soon succeed in making their system even quicker and cheaper. And there is no suggestion that their security is being compromised. In contrast, our Department of Justice told your paper (Go, March 13th) it “intends to continue with the current tourist-visa arrangements”.
I’m reminded of the Your Country Your Call competition that offers prizes for proposals that could “secure prosperity and jobs for Ireland”. Perhaps a booby prize should be offered to the Minister for Justice for operating a visa system that is hindering our prosperity and costing us jobs? – Yours, etc,