Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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78. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress of the civilianisation of front-line immigration control procedures at Dublin Airport; the number of civilianised Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, INIS, staff versus Garda National Immigration Bureau staff; the clerical grade of the civilianised staff; her future plans for civilianisation at other ports of entry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8855/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The frontline immigration checks in Terminal 1 and the Transit area of Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport are undertaken by civilian staff of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department. During the course of this year, INIS staff will take over these checks in Terminal 2 of the airport and the arrangements are in place for the deployment of the necessary additional staff for this purpose.

There are currently 68 civilian staff serving at the airport with a further 19 staff taken on since 6th February, 2017 who are currently in training and will be deployed to full duties in early April. The grades of the staff at the airport are Assistant Principal Officer (1), Higher Executive Officer(1) , Executive Officer (13) and Clerical Officer (72 including those in training). The Garda numbers at Dublin Airport are Inspector (1), Sergeant (4) and Garda (69) currently serving.

In relation to expanding the civilianisation programme to other ports of entry, I have indicated that I am looking at deploying civilian officers to other major ports of entry to the State where this makes sense from a cost and efficiency perspective. In circumstances where An Garda Síochána will maintain a presence at our ports to continue their crucial policing role in protecting our borders from a security and law enforcement perspective, one of the requirements of further civilianisation at other ports of entry will be to achieve the appropriate balance between Gardaí and civilian staff. In this light, the nature, volume and time distribution of passenger traffic at such ports will be a determining factor in any decision to deploy civilian immigration officers.