asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the type of security being used by the Passport Office to ensure against falsification of passports for drug traffickers.

As will be appreciated I am not at liberty to go into all the measures we take to ensure against falsification of Irish passports by drug traffickers or indeed any other criminal elements. The Deputy's attention is drawn to two very significant developments which have been introduced in recent years and which will ensure such falsification is rendered extremely difficult.

The first was taken in December 1984 when the scheme of identification in Garda stations already in use in the rest of the State, was extended to Dublin. This scheme helps to prevent false applications and thus ensures that passports issued in the State get into the right hands from the beginning.

The second step was taken in January 1985 with the introduction of the new Irish passport. Special attention was given to security in the design of this passport. The result is a passport of a very high standard which cannot easily be tampered with.