Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. It is possibly a sign of the changed security times in which we live that we must deal with this motion this afternoon. As the Minister said, the world has changed dramatically since 11 September 2001 and security and counter-terrorism are now much higher up the political agenda than they were heretofore.

Our responsibility is to try to strike the right balance between the need for the maximum possible security for citizens, be they travelling or non-travelling citizens, and protecting in whatever way we can individual human rights. The type of motion before us highlights how difficult it is at times to strike that balance because we are almost putting in place a Big Brother scenario and yet, regrettably, it might be necessary to put in place this type of system. The Minister of State pointed out the background to the introduction of the measures. If this proposal is not agreed, certain doubts might emerge about the viability of much of the commercial airline traffic between Europe and the US.

The main question that arises concerns the balance between maintaining the citizen's right to privacy and supporting whatever measures are necessary to provide maximum security and tackle international terrorism. The recent efforts to cause carnage in the UK show how dangerous the world has become and how much more difficult it is for the security forces to track those intent on causing mayhem and carnage. The passenger record system plays a role in assisting our security forces in countering those who intend to bomb and murder our citizens. While the need to ensure maximum security necessitates these particular measures, we must acknowledge how rushed the order is with, regrettably, not much time for debate on it. We must acknowledge that the gap in providing security and protecting the citizen's rights is getting narrower. The need to provide security against terrorism to some degree is infringing on traditional, hard-won and dearly held rights. We will have to engage in a more in-depth debate on how to provide for the security of our country and the Continent without infringing on the rights of the individual citizen.

Do the US authorities exchange data with the EU? Has the EU requested such a reciprocal arrangement? I support the overall thrust of the order. In these challenging times in which global terrorism has become an industry in itself, we must ensure the maximum security of our citizens. While airline passengers will be discommoded by this arrangement, it will make life safer for those travelling. With a degree of reluctance and as I am unable to come up with a better solution, I support the motion.