The number of Australian short term tourist visas being applied for by Republic of Ireland residents has risen since last year.

Latest figures released by the Australian Government’s department of Immigration and Citizenship show that there has been anincrease in the amount of Irish citizens applying for tourist visas in the last twelve months.

Between the period of March 31 2010 and the same date in 2011 a total of 36,649 Irish residents lodged tourism Visitor visa applications.

By contrast just one year later 39,490 Irish people lodged applications within a period of 12 months, an increase of 7.8pc.

In comparison, the number of applications from the United Kingdom and the USA both fell within the same timeframe.

Numbers in the UK fell from 451, 781 in 2010/11 to 411,285 in the year between 2011/12, meaning a decrease of 9pc.

Similarly in the US there was also a decrease of 2.3pc, with figures falling from 244,057 to 238, 525 within one year.

When it comes to short term business visa applications from Ireland, the figures fell under the category of other countries.

Here there was also an increase on the previous year, with a rise in applications totalling 5.9pc, from 29,757 to 31,515.

Meanwhile the number of subclass 651 eVisitor visa applications lodged from the Republic of Ireland in 2011-12 to 31 March 2012, rose from 825 to 951, a rise of 15pc.

Of the applications made by Irish residents for tourist, business and eVisitor for visas, 436 were made while on Australian shores, a decrease of 2.8pc on the previous year’s figure of 424.