Patrick Costello
Ceist:
1373. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the number of individuals who have been detained when arriving in Ireland and charged with travelling on fake South African passports in the past five years, in tabular form. [30825/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra
As the Deputy may be aware, this data is maintained by An Garda Síochána.
I have sought the information requested from the Garda Commissioner and I will write to the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51
I refer to Parliamentary Question No. 1373 of 14/06/2022 where you asked:
“To ask the Minister for Justice the number of individuals who have been detained when arriving in Ireland and charged with travelling on fake South African passports in the past five years, in tabular form.”
As you will recall, I sought the information you requested and undertook to contact you again once the information was to hand.
As the Deputy will appreciate, every State has a duty to protect its borders and to ensure that all arriving passengers are entitled to enter the State. This is a fundamental exercise of State sovereignty, which is necessary to protect the security of the State and to prevent illegal immigration. The exercise of powers in this area is at all times subject to the law and to respect for individual rights.
The Border Management Unit (BMU) of my Department has responsibility for frontline immigration duties at Dublin Airport only. Other ports of entry are the responsibility of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).
Following, representations to AGS, I have been advised that due to the manner in which the information is recorded on PULSE it is not possible for GNIB to provide an answer.
