The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr McDowell, has been criticised for failing to introduce a national identity card scheme.
Fine Gael's Mr Michael Ring TD said visitors to the UK were being forced to get passports to travel on budget airlines.
If national ID cards were available, it would eliminate the need for such unnecessary expenditure.
Mr Ring said: "In order to fly with Ryanair, people must produce a passport or driving licence before they can board a plane.
"The majority of these flights are to UK destinations, where a passport is not required. Yet in order to fly, the airline insist on the production of such documentation.
"Many people do not have a driving licence so they must purchase a passport. If they had a national ID card this would not be necessary."
Mr McDowell said the introduction of an national ID card was a complex issue which would require debate.
"Indeed, depending on the outcome of that debate, responsibility for such a measure could fall to any of a number of Government Ministers. But I have no plans for the introduction of a national ID card at this stage," he said.