Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to raise this matter. I would have raised it as a priority question but the latest event occurred past the date for submitting such questions.

The abuse of Irish passports is gravely worrying and reflects a failure, I am sad to say, on behalf of those responsible for the implementation of effective security measures to protect the security of Irish passports following the events that occurred in Dubai earlier this year. It is becoming increasingly clear that international undercover agents are accessing the passport information of Irish citizens with ease for use during their covert operations. It has taken the exposure of a Russian spy ring to highlight the latest abuses and as was the case in Dubai the Irish authorities were completely oblivious to the theft of information until other governments pointed it out.

It was initially reported that only one Irish passport was involved in the uncovering of the spy ring in the United States but it has now emerged that several Irish passports are involved. The security of British passports was significantly reinforced immediately following the Dubai assassination but no such security enhancements have been implemented to protect Irish passports, despite the fact that they were abused in exactly the same manner. I would like to mention the sort of security reinforcements which have occurred in Britain. It has changed, with effect from 1 October, the passports it will issue. New passports will incorporate images of well-known scenes recreated through special printing techniques. The new passport replaces the e-passport which was brought in four years ago to comply with the United States' visa waiver programme.

Other security features, I understand, include moving the chip that stores the holder's details to the inside of the passport cover so it is no longer visible and adding a transparent covering, which includes several holograms. The new passport images will also stretch across two pages instead of one. I point this out because there is research on how one can further improve the security of passports. I have no doubt that if we do not have the wherewithal in this country to do that we could perhaps contact the identity and passport service in the United Kingdom to see if we could copy its new methods of improving security.

I was also disturbed that until yesterday it would appear that no contact was made with the Russian Embassy despite the fact that when the Dubai scandal broke the Government called in the Israeli ambassador and, ultimately, an Israeli diplomat was expelled. I do not know why we seem to have failed to act as quickly with the Russian Embassy but I also read that visas were issued from that embassy in respect of passports which were ultimately forged, with the original user's passport was forged.

There are serious questions to be answered. I hope the Minister of State will give an assurance that every possible step is being taken to guarantee the sanctity of the Irish passport which for many generations was regarded very highly. I hope it will continue to have a high reputation throughout the world. We do not want to be involved in spy rings and other activities of a corrupt nature. I sincerely hope that the Minister of State, Deputy Power, whom I am delighted to see in the House, can give us a guarantee that these security steps will be taken, answers will be obtained from the Russian Embassy and the appropriate action taken, if necessary, so that we will not have any recurrence of this situation and that other possible abuses may be sent a warning that Ireland will not tolerate this type of behaviour under any circumstances.

See this speech in context