Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 December 2009
230 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of Irish passports seized at each port and airport here in 2008 and to date in 2009; the corresponding figure for non-Irish nationals’ travel documents; the proportions of each category which were forged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46793/09]
View answerRecords on PULSE indicate that there were 199 passports recorded as seized in 2008, with 121 passports seized, to date, in 2009 (9th December, 2009). The majority of these seizures — 59 (30%) in 2008 and 25 (21%) in 2009 — are recorded at Dublin Airport and in Pearse Street Garda District, where the offices of the Garda National Immigration Bureau are located. Information recorded on PULSE does not indicate whether the passports seized are Irish or from other jurisdictions and it would necessitate a disproportionate amount of Garda time and resources to establish same, as it would require each individual entry to be examined to establish the origin of the documents seized and / or if it was forged.
I informed the Deputy in response to Question No.379 in July, 2009, that records in PULSE indicated that the number of passports seized up to 5 July 2009 was 132. I have now been informed by the Garda authorities that the actual figure at that time was, in fact, 70 and that the 132 figure referred to is the total number of passports seized for all of 2007. I regret any confusion that may have been caused by the earlier erroneous information.
