Fine Gael spokesman on immigration and integration Denis Naughten has suggested the application form for PPS numbers should be amended to ask applicants if they hold a criminal conviction. Such a "screening mechanism" would help ensure that gardaí were aware of immigrants with serious criminal histories.
While he accepted the system for allocating PPS (personal public service) numbers could not discriminate against foreign nationals, Mr Naughten said it could be used to ensure that applicants had declared certain previous convictions to the authorities.
"There is an issue in relation to certain criminal offences, for example that are convicted for paedophilia or something like that who, by law, must register with An Garda Síochána when they come into the jurisdiction. But that isn't happening. It is definitely an area that needs to be looked at - the legislation and the technology needs to be strengthened," he told The Irish Times.
"I have no difficulty with giving people a second chance, but I think it is critically important, for example, in relation to offences against children, and this could be one mechanism of actually identifying those people and ensure that they have complied with the law."
He referred to confirmation by the Department of Social and Family Affairs that it had intercepted a number of applicants who had presented false or fraudulent documents with their PPS applications. While stopping short of saying foreign nationals with certain criminal convictions should be denied PPS numbers, Mr Naughten said those who presented false documents should be deported.
"Anyone that is providing false documentation, not only should they not be issued with a PPS number, but the Garda National Immigration Bureau should be contacted and they should be deported out of this country."
A spokeswoman for the Department of Social and Family Affairs said all cases of PPS applicants providing false documents were reported to the Garda.
