Varadkar calls for reform of UK, Ireland visa rules
Tourism and Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has called for Britain and Ireland to become a common travel zone like parts of mainland Europe.
Minister Varadkar said tourists and business visitors from far flung destinations should not be forced to source one set of travel papers for the UK and a second set to cross the border to the Irish Republic.
“This means that there are real opportunities to attract more high-value, high-spending visitors from rapidly growing economies like Brazil, India, China and Russia to both Britain and Ireland,” he said.
Mr Varadkar said Ireland and Britain could become a “mini-Schengen” referring to the 20 countries in mainland Europe signed up to common travel and visa rules.
In Ireland a visa waiver for UK visitors has been extended until the end of October 2016 which allows long-haul travellers to pass in to Ireland without additional travel documents.
“While the visa waiver is a step forward, it should be just that – one step of many to come,” he said.
“It makes no sense to me that a tourist flying into Dublin from Dubai needs a separate visa to travel to the Titanic Experience in Belfast and to see the Giants Causeway. And it makes even less sense to the tourist.”
Mr Varadkar made the call at the latest meeting of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly as it sat in Leinster House. His idea has been backed by co-chairman Joe McHugh.
Citizens of the UK and Ireland are covered by the Common Travel Zone which allows passport-free movement between all the islands including the Isle of Man and Channel Islands.
The theme of the latest parliamentary assembly, sitting for the first time in the Seanad in Leinster House, was about making business easier between the two countries.
Mr Varadkar also urged ministers in both countries to pursue the removal of significant legal and administrative barriers to mutual recognition of penalty points. A deal has been struck to bring in the new cross-border regime in 2014.
“Not doing something because it is difficult is a quitters approach to politics. And we are not quitters,” he said.
The visa idea would be the latest initiative Ireland has adopted in recent budgets to boost visitor numbers including cutting VAT for the tourism and leisure sector to 9% until the end of next year.
Mr McHugh said: “The development of tourism is fundamental to our economic recovery. We still have a situation where some international guests require two separate visas to visit Donegal and Derry. This should be addressed as a priority issue that will encourage tourism and economic development in both countries.”
The assembly was originally formed as the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body in 1990 and has met 44 times.
