asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if it will be possible for the UK authorities to require Irish persons to sign a green embarkation card on entry to Britain after opening up of EC frontiers in 1992.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - British Embarkation Card.
42.
The European Communities' programme for the completion of the internal market by 1992 involves the removal of barriers to free movement of persons, goods and services and capital within the Community. As part of this process it is intended to reduce and simplify border controls on the movement of individuals as much as possible, and a draft directive to achieve this end has been under discussion in the council for some time. It was accepted at an early stage, however, that member states would retain the ability to maintain at their discretion systematic checks for security purposes at their frontiers, including intra-Community frontiers.
The Government will, of course, continue to impress upon the British authorities the need to operate all such controls in a sensitive and non-discriminatory manner.
Are we making representations while this directive is being discussed to have the same entry requirements pursued against Irish citizens as against other citizens? That does not seem to be the case at the moment.
Those are two separate matters. One is the Community directive in which we are naturally participating fully in what has been decided and it is agreed there that the member states will have the authority to have security checks. The other side of it is that we pursue bilaterally with the British authorities the position of travel for Irish citizens between here and Britain.
It appears from the Taoiseach's response that it would be still permissible for the Prevention of Terrorism Act to operate in a discriminatory way against Irish persons entering Britain after 1992. Could I have confirmation of that?
The directive is not finalised yet but, in regard to the Prevention of Terrorism Act, the way forward there is for us to pursue that directly with the British authorities and to continually try to improve matters and avoid incidents of the kind that have happened. On the other hand, we must acknowledge that the British have their own security concerns.