Dáil debates

Wednesday, 24 October 2007

11:00 am

Photo of Bertie AhernBertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I agree with Deputy Kenny that we need to co-operate closely on tactics for the referendum. I will consult him on its timing. Summer is probably the best time but we must reflect on a number of issues between now and Christmas. The formal advice of the Attorney General must be sought. That can now be done based on the treaty, even though it has not been signed. The treaty must be signed; the referendum Bill must be prepared and debated in the Oireachtas and the referendum commission must sit. The handling of the forum is not within my control but the Government is working with it. I have discussed all of these matters with the Minister of State with responsibility for Europe, Deputy Roche, and we will move ahead on all of them. I hope to bring many of them to a conclusion prior to Christmas and introduce the referendum Bill after Christmas.

Deputy Kenny is correct in saying there will be a huge focus on this country. It is almost certain that this will be the only country holding a referendum and it will attract much interest in Europe and beyond. Our position on the treaty caused some press interest in Lisbon last week. We must take account of the fact that we will not be dealing with the issue within our own shores only but will also draw attention from outside. We had some experience of this on a previous occasion and must take account of it. The referendum is hugely important to the future of the country and our continuation in the European Union. I will co-operate fully on the issue.

The position in Kosovo was discussed by the Foreign Ministers. Later in the session I will ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, to update Members on that discussion. Former President Martti Ahtisaari who has been attempting to progress the issue has outlined in considerable detail the risk involved. I visited Kosovo on one occasion. While the huge military force has done a very good job, it is still a very difficult location to be in. Independence could trigger renewed difficulties and must be handled carefully. It is important that EU Foreign Ministers keep an agreed position on the issue. That is why progress has been so painstaking, as detailed in President Ahtisaari's reports.

Early last year the British Government made clear its position on border security. After the events of 11 September 2001 the UK Government stated its intention to tighten and change its existing system. In recent days we have been discussing another move in that process. The UK Government is putting huge resources into its e-border control system. We have been co-operating with the British authorities and have been kept abreast of what they are doing. They are engaged in a ten year programme which, while changes will not be made overnight, raises significant issues for us. After 11 September 2001 some of the major advantages of the common travel area were lost, as passports or photo identification became a requirement in most locations. The potential impact of the electronic border control on the travel of Irish citizens was discussed by the Government yesterday. We are considering a proposed Irish border information system.

That will be the subject of a memorandum to Government next year. The British authorities have kept us fully informed. There have been a number of questions in regard to this, the most important being the impact on the land border, the issue being raised this morning. There are no plans to introduce any controls on the land border between North and South. All the British authorities are examining is increased co-operation in cross-Border operations with a focus on targeting illegal immigration across the Border. They have done preliminary work over the past 18 months which shows how the Border is being abused. The Deputy raised a question regarding some of the people involved. More than 90% of illegal immigration comes not through our airports or ports but across the Border and that is being organised and not merely happening. We have not had figures until now. It is interesting that various systems are being put together looking at the issues such as catching immigration offenders, apprehending criminals, particularly serious criminals, collecting immigration trend data and strengthening border controls. All of these issues are of interest to us and the fact they are being dealt with can also help us.

The e-border system is being led by the Home Office Border & Immigration Agency in partnership with the Police, the UK Visa Services, Revenue and Customs. The system will operate by electronically collecting and analysing passenger information in advance of travel. It is not a unique system. It is based on the US and Spanish systems, both of which have been in operation for some time. The information available from the machine readable zone of a passport will be passed to the Border & Immigration Agency's centre for matching various immigration, police and other watch lists containing details of persons of interest. It is a good system, the benefit of which is that the movements of people who are on watch lists, as they are called, will be available.

In so far as it affects us in the context of the common travel area, Ireland and Great Britain have operated an arrangement for many years, co-operating to ensure that our respective immigration procedures will continue. Obviously there will be some changes in the system. The common travel area has facilitated members of the public in both jurisdictions but in recent years it has moved beyond that to a situation where most passenger carriers require passports and driving licences. We will continue to keep a close eye on the system. The British authorities are working on this and keeping us informed. They are determined to have a proper, technologically driven border system that co-ordinates their various services. It is a positive development and it is in our interests to co-operate on it.

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