US border pre-clearance must be maintained at Dublin Airport– O’Brien

Newly appointed Fianna Fáil Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Darragh O’Brien TD has expressed concerns following media reports that the US border pre-clearance at Dublin Airport is under threat.

The Fingal deputy, in whose constituency the airport is located commented, “The reports in the media that there are manpower issues at the pre-clearance service offered to passengers by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency are worrying for Dublin Airport.

“Dublin is currently the only European city offering the pre-clearance service. This has been a great asset for the country, enabling passengers from Ireland to bypass long queues and delays at customs following their arrival in the US. It has encouraged passengers to fly directly from Dublin and not take flights from the United Kingdom to US cities.

“Last year all flights that wanted to be pre-cleared were able to avail of the service, but the increase in passenger numbers this year means that there is a risk that all-flights may not be able to pre-clear unless the additional resources are provided by the US CBP. It would be a loss if pre-clearance could not be maintained for all flights.

“I call on the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Foreign Affairs to clarify if they have made representations to any officials in the US on this issue and to prompt them to encourage the continued resourcing of this service. This arrangement has been beneficial for both countries which have strong historical bonds and I urge the US CBP to continue its proper resourcing,” concluded Deputy O’Brien.
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