Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 2 Dec 1998

Vol. 497 No. 6

Written Answers - Immigration Controls.

Jim Higgins

Question:

214 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has investigated a complaint made to him by a person (details supplied) in County Louth who has been living in Ireland since 1991, has an Irish driving licence and was detained by the immigration authorities at Dublin Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26075/98]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue):

The investigation of complaints in respect of members of an Garda Síochána is properly the function of The Garda Síochána Complaints Board. My office wrote to the person referred to by the Deputy on 20 May explaining that it was open to him to lodge a complaint with the board.

This letter also described why it was necessary to introduce certain changes in the law, to enable immigration officers carry out checks on persons travelling from the UK. These measures were introduced to protect the common travel area (CTA) between Ireland and the UK in the context of overwhelming evidence that the CTA was increasingly being abused by persons who had no right to enter Ireland.

Of course, I would be concerned generally to ensure that these controls are applied with the minimum possible interference or offence to genuine travellers and the Garda authorities have been asked to ensure that immigration officers exercising these powers do so in a discreet and courteous way.