Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 October 2016
29. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when the necessary equipment will be installed in Dublin Airport for biometric information to be obtained from those travelling here from outside the EU. [29418/16]
View answerSection 11 of the Immigration Act 2004 provides for the requirement that a person landing in the State shall be in possession of a valid passport or other equivalent document and that they shall furnish to an immigration officer such information as the immigration officer may reasonably require. This section also applies to any non-EEA national travelling within the Common Travel Area.
The border management systems in use at Dublin Airport currently have the capability to capture and verify biometric information from relevant travellers. Biometric information may be extracted from the computer chip contained within biometric passports, or e-Passports. Such information is also designed for use with facial recognition applications, such as the Automatic Border Control (ABC) gates currently being piloted at Dublin Airport. A procurement to expand the use of ABC gates is expected to be conducted before the end of this year.
Immigration Officers at Dublin Airport can also check biometrics captured during the visa application process abroad. In addition, in cases where a person seeks international protection or asylum at Dublin Airport, their fingerprint biometrics are also captured electronically and compared to those held on the European asylum database (EURODAC) and national databases.
The technology, including the appropriate use of biometrics, is kept under regular review at Dublin Airport taking into account emerging technologies, changes at EU and international level and changing circumstances so that such systems support the key role of immigration officers in protecting the State's borders.
