Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 January 2019
47. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a requirement (details supplied) will also be extended to passport book holders if the regulation is adopted (details supplied); and his views on the fingerprinting of passport card and passport book holders. [2042/19]
View answerA Proposed Regulation on strengthening the security of ID cards and of residence documents was submitted by the Commission on 17 April 2018. Irish officials at the Permanent Representation in Brussels, as well as representatives of the Departments of Justice and Foreign Affairs, engaged extensively in discussions on the proposed Regulation to ensure that the institutions and EU Member States were fully informed about Ireland’s national law with regard to the areas covered by the proposed Regulation.
Ireland does not issue identity cards to its citizens and has no provision to do so under national law therefore the proposed Regulation does not apply to Ireland. There is no obligation on Ireland to introduce identity cards or residence documents arising out of this draft Regulation. This is clear from recital 6 of the proposed Regulation which states:
“This Regulation does not require Member States to introduce identity cards or residence documents where they are not provided for under national law, nor does it affect the competence of the Member States to issue other residence documents under national law outside the scope of Union law, for example residence cards delivered to all residents on the territory whatever their nationality.”
The proposed Regulation does not apply to the Irish Passport Card which is not an identity card but is an Irish passport in card format. It is fully compliant with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Document 9303, part 5 (Seventh Edition) which regulates the requirements for passports, in traditional book format as well as in card format.
In order to ensure clarity on this point, a recital was added to the text of the proposed Regulation. The new recital has been included in the latest version of the document, 14360/18 dated 16 November 2018, which was agreed by Member States with a view to granting the Presidency a mandate to start negotiations with the European Parliament. It reads as follows: "(6c) Travel documents compliant with International Civil Aviation Organisation(ICAO) Document 9303, part 5 (Seventh Edition) which do not serve identification purposes in the issuing Member State, should not be considered as falling within the scope of this Regulation."
My Department has no plans to introduce any requirement for the fingerprinting of holders of passport books or passport cards.
