Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Ó Donnghaile for raising this issue which is of some importance. It is important, in the first instance, to recognise that the purpose of any operation by the Garda or the Garda National Immigration Bureau, GNIB, at the Border is to detect any immigration abuses by non-EEA nationals who may wish to attempt to use the common travel area in order to gain illegal access to the State. It is not focused on and nor does it impact upon Irish or UK nationals or EU nationals who, as the Senator will be aware, enjoy free movement under the common travel area and under the EU free movement directive. The Senator will be fully aware of that, having regard to the fact that he said he does not carry ID with him and that he does not carry his passport.

The number of specific operations held each year, to which the Senator refers, is an operational matter for An Garda Síochána and it obviously consults, on a very regular basis, with the UK Border authorities. Obviously a decision to engage in the type of operation referred to by the Senator is based on that consultation. These decisions take into account matters such as emerging patterns of travel and emerging patterns of immigration abuses within the common travel area. Again, the Senator will be aware of the importance of maintaining the common travel area in the context of our discussions, as part of the EU 27, with the UK on the matter of Brexit and the withdrawal of the UK, including Northern Ireland, from the European Union.

An initiative, entitled Operation Gull, between the GNIB on this side of the Border and the UK Immigration Service has been ongoing for a number of years. The sole purpose of Operation Gull is to address the issue of immigration abuses within the common travel area. That has resulted in checks being conducted at ports and airports in both jurisdictions, including but not limited to, those along the Border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Over the past number of years, these operations have been conducted in Ireland under Operation Sonnet, which is specifically aimed at targeting, detecting and preventing illegal immigration into this State via the common travel arrangements. These targeted operations are in addition to the day-to-day immigration controls in place in order to maintain the integrity of the common travel area.

Detailed data on the number of operations pre and post the date of the UK referendum are not ready available. However, I have listened to the point raised by the Senator and acknowledge his anecdotal evidence. Indeed, I acknowledge his first-hand experience and knowledge in this area, having regard to his attendance here and membership of the Oireachtas. Under Operation Sonnet there were 91 detections in 2015, some 27 detections in 2016 and a provisional figure of 22 detections in 2017 that I will confirm as soon as I can. These detections came about as a result of a number of specific days of action. There were four days of action in 2015, two days of action in 2016 and two days of action in 2017. In addition to these days of action, members of An Garda Síochána continually carry out routine checkpoints along the Border in an effort to help detect persons attempting to enter this State illegally. As a result of such detections, some 774 people were refused leave to land along the land Border with Northern Ireland during this period. The breakdown is as follows: 275 persons in 2015; some 282 persons in 2016; and 217 persons in 2017. Out of the total, 20 people claimed asylum and the remaining 754 were removed from the State, in accordance with the law.

I am sure the Senator agrees that the continuation, preservation and maintenance of the common travel area is one of the main objectives of the Government in the context of the Brexit negotiations. These key benefits are really important to our people. The free movement of people and the wider economic benefits means that we must ensure that the common travel area is not abused by persons who are not legally entitled to such freedom of movement. This will require appropriate checks to be made on the land border to maintain the integrity of the common travel arrangements. Such checks will not, and such patrols do not, impact on the freedom of movement of the many millions of Irish and UK nationals who use the common travel area each year, and particularly the 35,000 people, like the Senator, who cross the Border on a daily basis.