Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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1076. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he has plans to increase the penalties that apply to carriages for breaches of the Immigration Act (Carrier Liability) Regulations 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16681/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Section 2(1) of the Immigration Act 2003 places obligations on carriers to ensure that passengers travelling to the State are in possession of a valid travel document that establishes the person’s identity and nationality, and that they have the appropriate visa if required.

In 2022, the GNIB issued 958 carrier liability fines. Each fine is €1,500, rising to €3,000 for each offence if it isn’t paid in 28 days. Approximately €1.1 million has been paid to An Garda Síochána to date for the year 2022. However, November 2022 and December 2022 claims are still being processed.

The question of the appropriate level of fines is kept under ongoing review.

In parallel, and in support of these obligations, Immigration Officials are actively engaging with airport authorities and airlines at a senior level to underscore the importance of passengers possessing correct documentation and to provide support in helping them to reduce the number of passengers boarding flights without the correct documentation.

The Border Management Unit and the GNIB are working closely with airlines on a range of measures to ensure that passengers have such documentation when boarding. Border Management Unit officials are available 24/7 to assist airlines with queries they have in relation to immigration matters.