Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I thank those Senators who have contributed on this issue. My understanding is that section 16 permits the Minister to issue a diplomatic passport to an officer of the Minister of diplomatic rank, or under subsection (1)(b) to a person or one of a class of persons to whom the Minister considers it is appropriate to issue such a passport. This permits reasonably broad discretion to designate who should be eligible for a diplomatic passport. The section makes it clear that diplomatic passports are intended to be used in connection with the performance of official duties abroad. This is in line with international practice and is a reasonable requirement. Diplomatic passports should not be used for travel for unofficial purposes, such as personal or holiday travel. Individuals should use their personal passports for those purposes. Holders of diplomatic passports are not required to return them between trips abroad on official business. They are advised and expected to comply with the conditions under which the passports are issued and the requirement of the Bill, if enacted.

I do not consider it necessary to extend the purposes for which diplomatic passports may be issued and do not propose to accept the amendment, but I will certainly reflect on what has been said by Senators. I wish to emphasise that the Bill permits the issuing of a diplomatic passport where this is required for purposes related to official duties or in accordance with generally accepted international practice.

The intention behind the amendment appears to relate to the view that former officeholders are less likely to need to travel for official purposes. I will give examples of these people. The Department intends to address this issue post enactment of the legislation by including in all diplomatic passports an insert to remind holders that under the passports Act, diplomatic passports should be used only for the purposes of official travel overseas. With regard to former Ministers, former Minister Joe Walsh chairs the hunger task force and some of his committee were in Malawi recently and former Minister Chris Flood travelled to the areas affected by the tsunami. These former Ministers were issued with diplomatic passports and they work on issues and committees to which they were appointed by various Ministers.

I do not consider it necessary to extend the purposes for which diplomatic passports have been issued, but I will come back to the issue at a later stage.