The ending of the Common Travel Area between Ireland and Britain will not result in tighter Border controls between the Republic and Northern Ireland the Taoiseach said today.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern
Mr Ahern said the current travel arrangements between the two countries is being "abused in a large way" and that British and Irish authorities were in communication about the development of an electronic border control system by 2009.
Asked about the implications of this system for travel between the Republic and the North, Mr Ahern said: "British authorities have no plans whatsoever to introduce any controls on the land border between North and South. I want to make that clear.
"All they are looking at is increased co-operation on cross-border co-operation, targeting illegal immigrants."
He told the Dail that the development of an e-border system was being led by the British Home Office, its Border Immigration Agency, the Police and Revenue and Customs.
It would be designed to collect and analyse passenger information in advance of travel based on passport data.
Mr Ahern said a person's passport details would then be cross-checked with a number of "watchlists" complied of persons sought in relation to criminal investigations, illegal immigration and customs offences. There would also be a list of stolen and lost passports he said.
Labour Party leader Eamonn Gilmore asked the Taoiseach why an external border was not being created around the Islands of Britain and Ireland.
"Surely criminals are smart enough to know that if you travel through Belfast you won't be caught. What's the point of applying it only between the Island of Britain and the Republic of Ireland and not in Northern Ireland?"
There has been concern raised in the North as well, with Independent unionist MEP Jim Allister urging British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to clarify the plans. Mr Allister claims the failure to have a passport check at the Irish border could undermine the immigration control policy.
And he warned it could eventually lead to the UK Government forcing people in the North to travel with their passports when going to England, Scotland and Wales. This, he said, would be unacceptable and prejudicial to the British citizenship of people in Northern Ireland.
"It is reported that tighter passport controls between Ireland and the UK will mean anyone travelling between Ireland and Britain from 2009 will have to carry a passport, but that these controls will not apply to the Republic's border with Northern Ireland," he wrote to Ms Smith.
"If so, then how will the new controls be effective, since those present in the Republic of Ireland could simply enter through Northern Ireland, unless you anticipate the preposterous suggestion of imposing passport/control restrictions internally within the UK at the point where travellers enter GB?
"I make it very clear to you that any attempt to restrict UK citizens in this part of the UK from freely travelling to another part of the UK and treating them as if they were citizens of the Republic of Ireland would be utterly unacceptable and incompatible with our rights and status as UK citizens."