Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Question 972: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he is satisfied with staffing levels for immigration control personnel at Dublin Airport, to ensure no undue delay occurs for travellers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25062/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Owing to the unprecedented growth in the number of foreign nationals arriving in Ireland, the Garda authorities have reviewed the human resource allocation at Dublin Airport in particular on several occasions since 2000.

It should be noted that in 2000 the total number of gardaí of all ranks attached to the immigration unit at Dublin Airport was 53. At present there are in total 80 gardaí of all ranks assigned to immigration duty at Dublin Airport. That is supplemented by an additional eight gardaí who have been temporarily transferred from the Garda national immigration bureau at Burgh Quay.

Owing to several terrorist atrocities, including USA, 11 September 2001, Madrid, 11 March 2004 and London, 7 July 2005, more rigorous checks against watch lists of known terrorists and criminals are required to protect this State and the common travel area with the UK. The nature of the immigration control duty in the climate of an international terrorist threat requires an appropriate balance to be struck between robust checks on the one hand and the need for reasonable efficiency on the other hand so as not to inconvenience travellers unnecessarily.

The GNIB information system was installed at each immigration booth at Dublin Airport in January 2003. In 2004 the Interpol 24/7 system was made available to Garda immigration officers at Dublin Airport. In 2005, the Office of Public Works installed state-of-the-art new immigration control booths designed to cater for the photographic equipment used with the GNIB information system at each of the three existing piers at Dublin Airport. Those new immigration control booths have increased the capacity of the Garda immigration personnel to deal with passengers owing to an increase from six to eight queuing lanes at Pier B, the main pier at the airport.

Garda management is in constant contact with the Dublin Airport Authority and will review the need for additional Garda immigration personnel in light of infrastructural developments at the airport.

I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that they are satisfied that sufficient staff have been allocated to immigration at Dublin Airport in line with the existing infrastructure.