Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Regarding Deputy Costello's point, in recent referendums we prepared a document that was sent to every household. We have not decided whether that will be done by the Forum for Europe or the Department of Foreign Affairs, which dealt with it previously. We have put much effort and resources into the Forum for Europe in recent years and it will be an important vehicle for the referendum.

One of the disadvantages in moving from the draft EU constitution to the reform treaty has been identified by Deputy Costello. The constitutional treaty was a single comprehensive document, written in simple terms. The reform treaty is an amendment to treaties. Deputy Costello is correct that we must make it a simpler document. Amendments to treaties must refer to the original treaties, which make it difficult unless one is dealing with them every day of the week. Very few people come within that category. It is very confusing so we must have a simplified version. That is possible.

Deputy Timmins referred to justice and home affairs. We opted in on issues of police co-operation and confiscation of assets. Our intention is to opt out only in areas where we are obliged to because of our common law system. Our declaration, which will be with the treaty, will make clear that it is our intention to opt in as far as is practicable. There are only some limited areas in which we must opt out. There will be no difficulty for us and I made it very clear last weekend that our position is to opt in as much as possible. That is understood by our European colleagues.

With regard to Deputy Coveney's point, I have read the document on the issue and suggest it might be best for him to raise the matter with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Staff in our naturalisation and immigration service have examined the possibility of setting up an Irish system for the last two years. They have examined the British system and the possibility of developing an Irish version thereof. A project development team has been put in place to develop an Irish border information system. The team includes representatives from the Revenue Commissioners, the Garda Síochána, the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Social and Family Affairs, and Transport. The team has approved the development of the system, which will be similar to the one in place in Britain. People will be screened against immigration data, information from the Garda Síochána and watch lists. It is considered prudent to develop the system incrementally. It is intended to commence with a number of long haul air routes and perhaps one watch list, increasing over a period of two years, adding more carriers, routes and watch lists until all passenger movements are covered. The team believes that the capture of data by the Irish border information system in respect of passenger travel within the common travel area is a matter which requires careful consideration. Passenger journeys between the South and Great Britain account for 40% of passenger traffic. Almost half of the traffic that the service will have to catch goes through Northern Ireland. The team is in the process of developing the system. Its work has only begun and the system will develop incrementally. Given that 40% of the entire traffic will be between the South and Great Britain, one can see the extent of the challenge. The system will take approximately ten years to develop fully and we are currently on year two.

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