Michael Kennedy (Dublin North, Fianna Fail)

Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a gabháil as ucht an deis labhartha seo a fháil. I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Michael Kitt, and departmental officials for introducing this Bill which, when enacted, will provide relief to those, like me, who are concerned about national security. Unfortunately, events in the past decade have forced the Government and citizens to concentrate our minds on the effectiveness of our passport legislation and directly address the fear created by a resurgence in global terrorism. We need to face up to the inadequacies of our passport and identity security systems. This legislation to tighten regulation of the issuance and control of passports has been forced on us. While I am sure many of my colleagues also wish that tighter controls, including some of the provisions in the Bill, were not necessary, I am reassured by the action being taken to enhance passport security for citizens.

The Bill underpins many of the restrictions and controls that have evolved since the enactment of the original legislation in 1924. I welcome the fact that the Bill consolidates a raft of disparate legislation and will, among other things, set in stone offences relating to passports. It provides for the biometric processing of personal data and the general issuance of passports in a range of circumstances. We are informed that many of its provisions are already in place and form part of routine procedures for issuing passports.

The definition of a citizen's right to obtain a passport is set down in the Constitution. The Bill, for the first time, sets down in law the rights of children in respect of the issuance of passports and makes many changes regarding parental and guardian consent in respect of the issuance of a passport to a child. This is a welcome and necessary development.

While these elements appear simple and obvious, when combined they create comprehensive legislation which will protect passport security. A passport is one of the most important possessions a person can own. Not only does it define our identity, it gives us power beyond what we could have envisaged 20 or 30 years ago. In an enlarged Europe, to hold an Irish passport is of considerable benefit.

My colleagues will have received large numbers of queries relating to citizenship and passports over the years. With increasing demand for Irish passports, as reflected in the black market, comes a requirement to tighten security. I have the honour of representing Dublin North, a constituency which includes Dublin Airport where the highest priority attaches to passport security. Millions of people come through our airports every year, as is their right, and, while this has benefits for the country, in the modern climate measures are needed to ensure all persons travelling through airports hold secure, valid passports. In October 2006, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, introduced a biometric or e-passport, a microchip document containing digital information that cannot be tampered with or altered. I am pleased to note these passports are printed in Balbriggan in my constituency. The introduction of e-passports, part of an overall European commitment to passport security, is warmly welcome. Customs officials in Dublin Airport see the benefits of this new type of passport every day.

Earlier this year, the Minister informed the House that 6,000 passports were stolen in 2006 and that his Department has an ongoing programme which urges members of the public to exercise vigilance in respect of their passports. In time, as biometric passports become the norm, the loss or theft of passports will present less of a problem. While I do not wish to underestimate the seriousness of the loss and theft of passports, details of lost or stolen passports are reported weekly across Europe and the world through the Garda and Interpol. It is my hope that as biometric passports become more common, the number of passports lost and stolen annually will decline.

I fundamentally disagree with Deputy Ó Snodaigh's comments. The case of the Columbia three embarrassed this country and biometric passports could have resolved many of the issues involved.

This morning, we heard details of a study conducted by NUI Galway and Trinity College Dublin, which indicated that more than 70 women had been trafficked into Ireland in the past six years. A separate report in The Irish Times covered the case of a man currently detained in Cloverhill Prison on foot of an extradition request from the Continent to face charges of child trafficking. Had biometric passports been the norm several years ago, trafficking in persons would be much less common. In this regard, I welcome the fact that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan, will introduce a criminal law (human trafficking) Bill in the House next week.

Passports form the basis of our national and personal security. Air fares aside, passports are the real ticket into other countries and, as such, are of considerable value. I welcome the fact that this is reflected in the Bill.

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