Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for providing me with some of the information. The statistics he outlined this morning are worthy of reflection. I am disappointed that the detailed data on the number of operations or where vehicles are stopped and checked is not readily available. I understand that it was too short a time for officials to prepare the figures. Therefore, I will ask one of my colleagues to table a parliamentary question requesting the details.

I agree with the Minister that the Garda must maintain its obligations in terms of the common travel area. I also agree with him that we must do all we can to ensure that the integrity of the common travel area is protected. I am keen to know, whether it is from a political direction or, perhaps, an internal policing misunderstanding around their expectations in the first instance, if there has been a steady incline in the amount of checks, which I have noticed. I do not think that there is necessarily a need for that beyond what the Minister has rightly outlined has been implemented pre-Brexit thus far, which has been reasonably successful in identifying people who enter the State illegally.

Again, I thank the Minister for his response. I am sure this is a matter that he will, like myself, keep a watching brief on and interest in. We are very much in concert and agreement that the common travel area, in any future arrangement, must be protected.