The Department of Transport has said the practice of handing over required personal passenger data of people travelling to the US from Ireland will continue, despite the failure of the EU and US to reach a fresh agreement on the matter.
A department spokesperson said the only Irish transatlantic carrier, Aer Lingus, had been advising passengers on its website that they were doing this, and the practice would continue until a new deal is struck.
Once the text of a new agreement is agreed between the EU and US, the Minister for Transport will take a motion to the Oireachtas seeking approval, she added.
Brussels would then manage the adoption of the new agreement, she said.
The statement comes after talks between the EU and the United States on sharing passenger information broke down.
The EU Transport Commission spokesman, Jonathan Todd, said the talks stalled hours before the existing agreement expired yesterday, adding that the impasse could create a legal vacuum.
Officials say, however, that transatlantic flights will not be disrupted.
Mr Todd said attempts to resolve the deadlock would continue.
The US Homeland Security Secretary, Michael Chertoff, said that that while negotiations failed, his government remained confident that a mutually accepted agreement would be reached soon.
On Thursday, European Justice and Home Affairs ministers are expected to discuss the matter further.
Airlines have been warned that they could be in a legal loophole after talks between the EU and the United States on sharing passenger information broke down.
