asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason the British airport authority in Heathrow Airport provides Irish passengers with inferior facilities at arrival and departure points in comparison with the facilities that are afforded to all other EC countries.
Written Answers. - British Airport Facilities.
18.
I am aware of the long-standing concern among Irish airline travellers at the level of facilities available to them at Heathrow Airport.
The embassy held discussions on this matter in the course of last year with the two relevant airline carriers at Heathrow (Aer Lingus and British Airways), the Heathrow Airport authorities, the customs and excise service and immigration service. The question of facilities at Heathrow for Irish passengers was also the subject of discussion between the Irish and British Government representatives in the framework of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Council last December in Dublin.
It is clear that Irish passengers at Heathrow Airport are in a unique category. In some respects, such as immigration control, Irish passengers are treated as domestic passengers and in others, such as customs, as international passengers. This has led in part to the present unsatisfactory position.
The Government, in pursuit of their commitment to have either new facilities provided at Heathrow Airport, or have the present arrangements upgraded, will continue to pursue this issue actively with the British Government and the relevant bodies involved.