Justice Minister Michael McDowell has said he expects to bring proposed legislation to deal with passport applications before the Oireachtas before the end of the year.
He was speaking as the Seanad began debating the 2nd stage of the Irish Nationalities and Citizenship Bill, which aims to prevent a repeat of the passports for sale scheme of the 80s and 90s.
Senator Fergal Quinn, who proposed the Bill, said many applications for passports under the scheme had ‘turned out very badly and went to some very dubious characters’.
He said the aim of the Bill was to close the loophole that existed, which would allow any future Government to reintroduce such a scheme, if it thought it appropriate in the economic circumstances.
But the Minister for Justice said that while it supports the principle and motivation the text of the Bill before the House contained a number of legal technicalities which could pose difficulties.
