AIRLINES COULD BE fined up to €5,000 if found to carry a passenger to Ireland without a valid travel document, an increase of €2,000 on the current level.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee is set to bring the airline fines review to Government this week and propose legislation to provide for an increase in the level of airline fines.

The legislation would be enacted before the Dáil’s summer recess, though the date that it would come into effect has yet to be announced.

The Immigration Act 2003 obliges carriers to ensure that passengers travelling to Ireland have a valid travel document that establishes their identity and nationality and that, if required, they have an appropriate visa.

The airline fines review has made three key recommendations.

Firstly, it recommended that the Immigration Act be amended to raise the maximum Class A fine to €5,000 instead of the current €3,000, or if the fine is paid within 28 days, it should be levied at a rate of €2,500 instead of €1,500.

The review suggested that the Department of Justice and the Garda National Immigration Bureau develop guidelines to support carriers to implement any checks that need to be carried out, and that these should be updated as needed.

It also advised that the government consider whether it would be feasible to introduce a dynamic fines model, which would enforce stronger penalties for carriers that are the least compliant.