Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Perhaps the Minister will come back in later to set out how this would work in terms of officials lending support to other countries. My time is pressing on. Our status is one of island nation with a shared border. Clearly the UK is not opting into the EU migration pact. Therefore, there is obviously an issue for us to deal with that. How confident is the Minister in our capacity to deal with it? What happens in the worst-case scenario, whereby we have an influx of migrants entering our State via Northern Ireland? What will we do about it? What level of integrated communication and information do we have with our UK counterparts?

My next question is on the removal of those individuals who have been served with papers to leave or who have been refused leave to remain. Aside from setting border exit checkpoints how will the State be able to keep a record of whether these individuals have left? I know that after-the-fact checks occur and the Government and the Department are broadly satisfied the individuals have, in fact, left the State. Particularly if the figure of more than 12,000 people per annum is sustained, how can we be confident these individuals are leaving the State? I am sure the Minister is aware that it has been stated, and it is on the record in both Houses and in the public domain, that it is not known whether individuals have left. It is a perennial question that keeps coming back to us as public representatives.