asked the Minister for External Affairs whether he will consider introducing regulations fixing an age limit under which the emigration of young people to Great Britain without their parents' or guardians' permission will be forbidden.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Emigration Age Limit.
43.
This question has been examined on many occasions since the abolition of the travel identity card system in 1952. So far we have discovered no practicable and effective means in today's conditions of preventing young people going to Britain.
Surely it would not be impossible for the Minister to insist that any boy or girl under a certain age, say, 15, 16, 17, or whatever age is decided on, should have the permission of his parents or guardians to go to Great Britain or any other country? The Minister, I am sure, must be aware that there is legislation to prevent boys and girls from going into dances unless they are over a certain age.
And pictures.
As the Deputy knows, in the present constitutional set-up, we have a very long land border and it is different from a narrow dancehall door.
I appreciate what the Minister has said but there are young boys and girls going to Great Britain through the ports on the east coast. Surely there should be some control over these, having regard to their age?
We have debated this matter on many occasions and we can do it to-morrow or whatever day the External Affairs Estimate debate is on but the Deputy must realise that it is very difficult for us and it would be very awkward for a lot of people if we were to compel all who travel between here and Great Britain, either directly or through the Six Counties, to show a passport.
It is not necessary to have a passport.
A travel identity form of some sort with a photograph would be the same thing. It was not for nothing that, in 1952, when the British abolished this travel identity form for their own purposes, we did not attempt to insist that people leaving here should have a passport.
That is not the proposition.
That is what the proposition amounts to.
This is for the protection of young boys and girls.
Of course, we all want to protect them but we must have a practical way of doing it.
Could they not go to the local Garda station and ask to be vouched for travelling abroad if they are under 14 or 15?
Some of them are shot down to the boat and nobody hears about them any more.
Can they not go up to the border and walk across?
We want the Minister to do something about that as well.
Is the Minister stating he intends to do nothing about this and that he will allow children to board a boat as they are doing at the moment?
I give the Deputy full freedom to stop them leaving Galway.
You are doing nothing to keep them there.
The Minister is not entitled to give the Deputy full freedom to do that.
You are trying to control butter across the border and you will not try to control children.
Butter cannot walk.