Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

Although I did not receive a response to my first contribution, I will refer briefly to Deputy Higgins's amendment. This point is also related to Deputy Shatter's amendment. It is unlikely that a better health service will be provided in Dublin Airport than in our hospitals, which is unfortunate. Moreover, it is unlikely that the powers in this Bill will ever be invoked because neither the wit nor the will exists, unless it was for some political purpose, to so do. I refer to the third amendment with which the Minister of State dealt and which he also is not prepared to accept. It is quite likely that a proportion of our citizens would sell their passports on the black market. However, such people can return, re-apply for and receive another passport. I do not accept that the Minister may ask for the original document to be presented because I have two old passports at home. Admittedly the covers are cut in such a fashion as to ensure they cannot be used again but nevertheless, I have never been asked to produce those documents nor have I been asked to produce something that I could have sold in the past, as some people do. Irish passports are highly valuable travel documents and this amendment would put the issue beyond doubt. I do not understand the reason the Minister of State will not accept it. While I accept there are other provisions in the Bill, it is unlikely, like Deputy Shatter's proposition, that this will ever come to pass and the legislation should put it beyond doubt.

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