Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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431. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the basis for not providing a dedicated channel for people arriving from within the common travel area at Dublin Airport, in order to allow them to arrive into the country without passport checks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49598/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I can advise the Deputy that An Garda Síochána has responsibility for airports and other ports of entry in the State with the exception of Dublin Airport, where the Border Management Unit of my Department has responsibility for frontline immigration duties.

There is no segregation of arriving flights at Dublin Airport. Therefore, it is not possible to distinguish Common Travel Area (CTA) passengers in advance of them presenting at Immigration Control desks. The Deputy will appreciate that infrastructure at Dublin Airport is a matter for the Dublin Airport Authority.

There is no requirement for Irish or UK citizens to produce passports when travelling within the CTA. However, airline carriers may require their passengers to have a passport in their possession before allowing them to board the aircraft. This is not an immigration requirement.

Where a person, who is a citizen of the CTA, and who has travelled from within the CTA, is not in possession of a passport, an immigration officer will ask them questions to establish that the person is entitled to benefit from the CTA immigration arrangements. The production of other forms of identification can be used to assist an immigration officer with these enquiries.