Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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317. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the information that EURODAC provides; if EURODAC provides information on criminal records, police checks or convictions; if EURODAC is linked to Europol; and if Europol has information on all IPAS applicants that have criminal records. [8649/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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It is a central priority for myself, my Department and this Government that our immigration laws are robust and enforced.

The establishment of a person’s identity and nationality is an important feature of our immigration process in general. When it comes to international protection applicants, each person that enters the process is fingerprinted and photographed. These fingerprints are checked against EURODAC.

The Eurodac database, which began operation in 2003, is used to enable the comparison of fingerprints and assist in determining the country responsible for the assessment of an asylum claim presented in one of the Member States.

Eurodac is not a criminal records database however since 2015, and in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 603/2013, law enforcement agencies are permitted to compare fingerprints linked to criminal investigations with those contained on Eurodac in certain circumstances involving serious criminal offences.

In addition to EURODAC checks on those applying for international protection, each and every person arriving at a port of entry in the state is subject to Schengen Information System (SIS) check. Under this system Ireland sends and receives SIS II information (termed ‘Alerts’) on persons and objects; for example persons wanted for criminal purposes, missing persons and objects which have been stolen or are wanted as evidence for a judicial purpose.

Character and conduct checks are carried out when processing an application for International Protection, and any criminal convictions are considered before applicants can be granted any permission to remain in the State. An Garda Síochána notify the Department of matters which may be relevant to its considerations.