Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On A27, the passenger information unit, this is an increase of €1.6 million provided to the Irish passenger information unit. The fund is to hire personnel to undertake ICT projects and the primary function here is to collect and process passenger name data, PNR, and passenger recognition data for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences or serious crime. Only today I brought a memo to Cabinet approving further changes to our PNR system so we are fully compliant with Europe, but above all so we can engage with three of the Schengen area countries as well in making sure that we can share information and data, particularly for the purpose of investigating crime. Similar to the investment in our aircraft this is investing in our systems so we can co-operate with our international and our European partners to be able to share information and data where there is a concern or risk around criminal activity. That is why we have seen such a sharp increase in that particular subhead.

With regard to the prison spaces, while 620 is the number that may be the minimum number we are possibly looking at a higher figure, possibly beyond 800, overall. There is work to be done just to develop that out further. At a minimum it would be 600 or 620 but it has the potential to go beyond 800. Acknowledging that the number of people above and beyond the capacity we have now almost eats up all of that we need to be future thinking as well.