Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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556. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if there are adequate checks at ports and airports in relation to the movement of persons to this State; the proposals to install new technology for checking the identity of persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13778/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Implementing effective border security arrangements is a priority for me as Minister. The Programme for Government commits to developing a border security strategy to deliver stronger border security, ensuring technology supports border screening and to reviewing the potential of extending pre-clearance mechanisms, such as electronic travel authorisation, for travel from designated third countries.

The Border Management Unit (BMU) of my Department is responsible for frontline Immigration at Dublin Airport. Other airports and other ports of entry are the responsibility of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).

There are already systems in place to ensure that relevant information in relation to individuals can be checked at a port of entry. Everyone arriving at a port of entry will have their travel documents inspected by either an Immigration Officer or, for certain confined categories, an electronic system (E-gates). They will also be subject to a 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.

Ireland and the United Kingdom share a common interest in the effective operation of the Common Travel Area (CTA), and work together to prevent any abuses of the CTA. The Programme for Government also contains commitments to ‘Continue to work with the UK Government to introduce further measures to tackle abuses within the Common Travel Area (CTA) and strengthen the external border of the Common Travel Area, including greater exchange of information’ and to ‘Carry out joint threat analysis with other jurisdictions and ensure technology supports stronger border screening’. This work is underway.

Technology contributes significantly to the maintenance of border security both in terms of data systems and physical infrastructure such as E-gates; the potential to enhance this contribution is kept under continual review.