Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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456. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to report on the initial two months of the passport card, if there have been any reports of it not being accepted at any locations in Europe, to outline what communications have been made with the various border authorities in Europe, if he is aware that it is not listed on the European Council's public register of travel and identity documents online website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43927/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I launched the Passport Card on 5 October. Since then over 12,000 applications have been received and over 11,200 cards produced. The card is accepted for travel in all EU and European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland (31 countries in total) and gives exactly the same entitlements and protections as a passport book. There has been a positive public reaction to this Irish-led innovative project including from those Irish citizens who travel frequently within Europe. It is also appears to be in demand by young adults for age-identification purposes.We have been informed by a small number of citizens that they have encountered difficulties with the card being accepted. This appears to have happened at regional airports in the main. To avoid this in the future I have asked our Embassies in each EU and EEA country and Switzerland to make contact with Ministries of Justice/Home Affairs as relevant and request them to ensure that all border guards are fully appraised of the validity of the Irish Passport Card for travel. Additionally the details of the Passport Card have been uploaded to Keesing’s document checker database. This is a comprehensive database for identity documents and bank notes and is widely used by government agencies including military and police, immigration offices, customs, embassies and tax authorities.

An Garda Síochána have arranged for that document to be uploaded to the Edison Database (Electronic Documentation and Information System on Investigation Networks). This database can be accessed by all 190 Interpol member countries through a secure internet system known as I-24/7.

The process of uploading the document onto the European Union “False and Authentic Documents Online” (FADO) database is underway by An Garda Síochána. FADO is available to document experts in partner states including in all member states of the EU. When this process is complete the document will be uploaded to the European Council’s Public Register of Authentic Travel and Identity Documents Online website. I am advised by An Garda Síochána that this final stage could take up to four months.