Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 613: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will report on the operation of the Garda national immigration bureau at Dublin Airport on 29 December 2008 when passengers arriving at the airport were faced with 45 minute delays due to inadequate staffing levels; the procedures to access the staffing levels required. [1072/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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On 29 December 2008, two charters and 235 scheduled flights arrived at Dublin Airport. There were 355 people on the charters and 28,059 people on the scheduled flights, making a total of 28,414 arriving at the airport during the day. This was higher than the 2008 daily average of 26,447. Arrangements for disembarking passengers at Dublin Airport do not allow for the separation of passengers from domestic flights within the State and those arriving on flights originating outside the State. Consequently, all arriving passengers must pass through immigration controls to ensure that those who, by law, require the permission of an immigration officer to enter the State are subject to the proper controls. On the date in question, personnel from three rostered units were on duty at Dublin Airport. The allocation of immigration personnel at Dublin Airport is designed to have the maximum number of staff on duty during peak periods. Every effort is made by immigration officers to exercise their function as speedily as possible but delays may occur on occasion. Passenger volumes may contribute to the delays.

The number of flights and the time of arrival at Dublin Airport is a matter for the Dublin Airport Authority and not within the remit of the Garda Síochána. Liaison is maintained between the Garda National Immigration Bureau and the Dublin Airport Authority to ensure that passenger flows are managed as efficiently as possible. Staffing levels at Dublin Airport are reviewed by Garda management on a regular basis and daily duty allocations are closely monitored to ensure the efficient movement of passengers arriving at the airport. A competition for the selection of additional personnel for assignment to the Garda National Immigration Bureau at Dublin Airport has recently been completed. Arrangements for the allocation of the additional personnel are currently being made with a view to keeping delays in the immigration function at Dublin Airport to a minimum.