Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 856: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has consulted with the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and Waterways Ireland on the development of immigration policy and the management of immigration controls in a manner that accommodates and supports an all-island tourism sector that attracts overseas visitors; his views on the application of such controls in relation to tourist and recreational traffic on cross-border waterways such as the Shannon-Erne Waterway, on cross-border waymarked ways such as the Sliabh Beagh Way and on sea loughs such as Carlingford Lough and Lough Foyle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11593/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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There are no fixed controls on the land border between North and South and the authorities in this State and in Britain accept that there is no possibility of introducing such fixed controls in the future. Furthermore, authorities in this State do not intend, now or at any stage in the future, to impose immigration or other controls on persons who are entitled to move between North and South, including those persons who use the waterways which traverse the two regions. The Deputy will, however, be aware that the Garda National Immigration Bureau and the British authorities work closely together and run regular intelligence led operations aimed at interrupting illegal immigration flows within the Common Travel Area. These joint operations, targeting illegal movement between Britain and Ireland, including through the North, continue to successfully disrupt the illegal carousel of movement between the two jurisdictions.