Hi-tech answer to fake passports

THE problem of fake Irish passports — especially those used by foreign intelligence agencies — can be fixed quite easily.

All that is needed is for the Government to set up an internet-based facility to allow officers in immigration services worldwide to check the passports instantly.

All such officers need to do is input the passport number and name and perhaps other details as part of a secure system which could then verify whether or not the document is legitimate.

There would be no privacy or data protection problems and there would be no need for officers manually to input the details; they could be collected automatically from the airlines’ computer systems.

However, the mere existence of such a system — even if sparingly used — should be enough to discourage all “spies” and most serious criminals from using fake Irish passports.

Of course, it cannot prevent identity theft leading to the issue of a false passport in the first place, as may have happened in the case of the Russian “spy” in the US lately.

Still, it is amazing that such systems are not already commonplace and one must wonder if for some unknown reason the current situation is preferred by the big powers.

As for the huge numbers of passports lost every year, perhaps a much higher fee for replacements would ensure they were looked after better.

John Stafford

Dargle Wood

Knocklyon

Dublin 16