HOLIDAYMAKERS travelling through Dublin Airport are set for a major boost as clearing immigration after returning home some become quicker.
New upgraded eGates are set to be rolled out to enable passengers to clear immigration electronically.
The move to modernise the process should “provide more efficient services for customers” and allow for people to get through immigration as “swiftly as possible”.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee announced a new contract for their operation which will result in the upgrading of the existing eGates in both terminals.
The ‘self-service’ channel to clear immigration control can be used by people over the age of 18 from the EU/EEA, Switzerland and the UK.
And more than four million passengers who arrived into Dublin Airport last year opted to pass through using the service.
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Automated Border Control eGates were first opened in Dublin Airport in December 2017. They provide highly secure automated passport validation and security checks on passengers.
There are currently 10 eGates in each of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 arrivals with an additional five eGates in the passenger Transfers Facility.
Minister McEntee said: “My Department is working to modernise its immigration processes and provide more efficient services for customers.
“Utilising technology like Automated Border Control eGates is paramount to delivering a secure, effective, and modern Immigration Service.
“Securing this contract means we can continue to process, Irish, EU and other eligible travellers, as swiftly as possible, while conducting stringent security checks on passengers and their documents.”
The Border Management Unit (BMU) is responsible for securing Ireland’s border at Dublin Airport.
Currently, eGates process approximately 25 per cent of passengers who arrive into Dublin Airport on a daily basis.
They are a key component of the BMU operational model and are critical to the smooth running of Immigration controls allowing BMU to dedicate resources to non-eligible passengers.
