asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will sanction simple identity cards for Irish citizens which would be acceptable throughout the EEC for travel purposes similar to the system operating in other EEC member states; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Travel Identity Cards.
433.
In many Community countries all adult citizens must have official identity cards for internal use in their own country. Where such cards are already held it is clearly an advantage to be able to use them, as provided for in Council Directive 73/148 of 21 May 1973, for entry to other Community countries. In Ireland however there is no internal identity card requirement. The question of such a system or requirement would be one for the Minister for Justice. In the absence of such an internal identity card system there is no card that citizens already have that could be used by them to travel to other countries.
The system the Deputy suggests would therefore involve the introduction of a special card for travel purposes, valid for Community countries only. Such a system, however simple the format of the card, would duplicate the passport system including the necessary checks on identity and parental consent. It would introduce two kinds of passport, one valid for all countries and a second valid only for Community countries, which could be inconvenient and confusing. I am satisfied that there are insufficient grounds for seeking to introduce a nation-wide identity card system or a two-tier passport system the sole purpose of which would be to facilitate travel to member states of the European Community.