Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

No pre-clearance facilities that go beyond aircraft passengers to include cargo pre-clearance are being used by the United States at present. Seeing how the present pre-clearance arrangements work will be a factor in any consideration that might be given to any widening of them. There are many issues that would be involved so instead of raising or dampening expectations, we must allow the present facility, which is working well, to gain confidence. We can then see where other possibilities might go.

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