Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Gabhaim buíochas leis as an gceist seo a fhreagairt. Tá súil agam go bhfreagróidh se í. The Minister is very welcome. I thank him for taking the time to respond to this question. My rationale for submitting this matter is anecdotal in the first instance. I have noticed an increase in the frequency with which the bus I use to travel from Belfast to the Seanad is stopped at Dundalk so that gardaí can come on board to ask people for their passports or papers.The gardaí are entirely within their rights to do so. The gardaí who got on the bus asked passengers to produce their passports or national ID cards. I do not carry either item when I travel within Ireland and I do not expect to be asked for them.

Beyond the figures I have sought in my Commencement matter, and this is something that we may have to tease out down the line as I appreciate the fact that the Minister may not have the information today., but what are the terms of reference in cases where a garda stops people and asks them to produce a passport or ID papers but they do not have either? Does the garda allow them to proceed? What are the terms of reference for such a stop? I tabled a Commencement matter because I noticed an anecdotal increase in such instances. I would like to hear his reflections on the matter. We have an agreed duty, across the board, to ensure that there is no hardening of the border or, indeed, no return to the borders of the past. I do not want to see a manifestation along our roads network that would indicate such a worrying development or trend, if indeed that is the case.