The Irish singer-songwriter and his driver were detained and questioned by police at Holyhead for two hours on 18 October after they arrived from Dublin. The detention was under the Terrorism Act 2000. He has complained to officials of this Department that the questioning was intimate and intrusive and amounted to harassment.
Following this report, the Irish Embassy in London made contact with the Foreign Office, and subsequently the Home Office, conveyed the initial details, and requested an explanation. The Home Office has confirmed that it has requested a report on the incident from Holyhead. It is expected that this will be received in the next few days. I will respond directly to the Deputy when in receipt of a reply from the British authorities.
My Department does occasionally receive complaints with regard to how security checks are handled by the British authorities. We have in the past consistently raised our concerns with the British authorities that the provisions of the British Terrorism Act 2000 be applied sensitively to ensure they do not cause embarrassment to travellers, nor discriminate against persons travelling between the two islands. The matter is the subject of regular discussions with the British side.
