Break for the border

PLATFORM:With the benefits of the Republic's common travel area with the UK being whittled away, we should detach ourselves from it altogether and join the much bigger common travel area that already exists across Europe

ONE OF the arguments put to us for voting in favour of the Lisbon Treaty is that a No vote will leave us semidetached from the European Union. But we have already been semidetached from Europe for many years by our refusal to become part of the Schengen cross-border arrangements.

The main purpose of the Schengen rules is the abolition of physical borders among European countries.

A total of 31 states, including 27 EU states and four non-EU members (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland) are subject to all or some of the Schengen rules, and 24 have fully implemented them.

Border posts and checks have been removed between these states. A common Schengen visa give tourists or other visitors access to the entire area. Holders of residence permits to a Schengen state enjoy freedom of travel to other Schengen states for a period of up to three months.

The reason we decided in 1990 to stay out of the Schengen movement was simple: we were already part of a common travel area - with the UK - and the UK had decided to stay out of Schengen.

We had to pick one common travel area or the other, and it seemed then that the one we were already part of would be more valuable to us in the future.

That may have been right then, but I believe it no longer to be so. That is why I am suggesting we reopen the discussion on this important issue.

The main reason is that the benefits of the common travel area with Britain are being whittled away.

Passengers travelling between Britain and Ireland have for many years been liable to police inspection at either end and are often required to prove their identity - so much so that carrying passports between the two countries is now advisable as a way of avoiding hassle.

The latest news is that the UK intends to tighten up external controls on its area and where it intends to draw the line is around the borders of the main island of Britain.

This approach is so drastic that it is prepared to exclude, not only the Republic, but the entire island of Ireland.

That has, of course, infuriated many of the unionist population in the North, but it is becoming clear that the British are prepared to put up barriers between Northern Ireland and Britain, rather than go to the considerable expense and inconvenience of policing a land frontier between us and them.

In practice, what this means is that we are guaranteed free travel across the Border, whatever happens, while at the same time our previous common travel area with mainland Britain is about to become meaningless.

Separately, Ryanair has long imposed strict photo- identification requirements on all passengers, whatever their destination, so most Irish citizens have to carry passports to be allowed on to aircraft flying to any Ryanair destination in Britain.

Between the UK Special Branch on the one hand and Ryanair on the other, our common travel area has become a common travel area in name only. You need a passport to go from one country to another - that is the reality.

I believe we should detach ourselves altogether from the British common travel area and instead join the much bigger common travel area that already exists across Europe. That would reflect what I consider to be the belief of all of us: that our future lies more with being an integral part of Europe rather than simply an appendage to Britain.

We should take the step of moving away from a small regional arrangement that no longer delivers benefits and instead become part of what is now virtually a continent- wide area that is working very well.

If we are truly to regard ourselves as part of Europe, there can be little doubt as to the decision we should make.

Feargal Quinn is an independent member of Seanad Éireann