Carol Nolan
Ceist:
323. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice to provide, in tabular form, the number of fines issued by gardaí to airlines operating out of Dublin Airport for allowing passengers to board without passports or other valid travel documents for each year from 2015 and to date in 2023; the amounts fined for each year involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49421/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra
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. 323 of 14 November 2023 where you asked: “…. to provide, in tabular form, the number of fines issued by Gardaí to airlines operating out of Dublin Airport for allowing passengers to board without passports or other valid travel documents for each year from 2015 and to date in 2023; the amounts fined for each year involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter.”
As you will recall, the information was not available at the time of answering.
The Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) has responsibility for issuing Carrier Liability, notices and warnings and for the imposition of Carrier Liability Fines on carriers who fail to ensure that passengers travelling with their airline, ferry or vehicle possess the necessary documentation, as per the provisions of Section 2(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 2003.
The total fines paid over the last five years to all carriers are provided below.
|
Carrier Liability Fines
|
Fines
|
Amount for year
|
|
2019
|
646
|
€1,003,470
|
|
2020
|
406
|
€624,000
|
|
2021
|
554
|
€826,500
|
|
2022
|
958
|
€1,102,500
|
|
2023
|
1003
|
€1,476,00
|
|
2024 Q1
|
176
|
€345,000
|
*The amounts received within a calendar year may relate to fines issued from the previous year.
In parallel, and in support of these obligations, Immigration Officials are actively engaging with airport authorities and airlines at a senior level to underscore the importance of passengers possessing correct documentation and to provide support in helping them to reduce the number of passengers boarding flights without the correct documentation.
The Border Management Unit and the GNIB are working closely with airlines on a range of measures to ensure that passengers have such documentation when boarding. Border Management Unit officials are available 24/7 to assist airlines with queries they have in relation to immigration matters.
Since the beginning of this year, the Garda National Immigration Bureau and the Border Management Unit have carried out over 3,700 doorstep operations to end June 2024 checking documentation of arriving passengers as they leave an aircraft. Last year, my Department saw a reduction of one third in the number of persons arriving at Dublin Airport without the correct documentation. The numbers arriving without the correct documentation for 2024 are on-course to approximately half of what they were in 2022.
I can further advise the Deputy that I have brought forward increased penalties for carriers who are found to not have conducted appropriate checks on the documentation of people boarding. The fines for carriers will increase from €3,000 to €5,000.
It is also intended to bring forward further measures, including guidelines to assist carriers and consideration of the feasibility of a dynamic fines model which recognises carriers who strongly enforce documentation requirements.
