The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, yesterday said he was appalled and shocked at the deaths of the immigrants in Dover, and it made him determined to ensure that the trafficking of "vulnerable people" by organised criminals would be combated on a Europe-wide basis.
He was speaking as he left Paris after a meeting with the French Interior Minister, Mr Jean-Pierre Chevenement, at which they discussed bilateral and EU-wide arrangements to combat illegal immigration and the trafficking of human beings by organised crime gangs.
Mr O'Donoghue said the meeting was very encouraging, and within the coming weeks a permanent Garda liaison officer would be posted to the Embassy in Paris to work with the French authorities.
Speaking of the deaths in Dover, Mr O'Donoghue pointed out that illegal immigrants had arrived in Rosslare in containers, and there was no guarantee that such a tragedy could not happen here.
He said: "I am appalled and shocked that this should have occurred. It makes me more determined to try and ensure that we will bring about measures to combat the trafficking of human beings in this way. It is of immense importance that we stop this.
"There is a situation now where it is becoming as profitable for organised criminals to traffick in these vulnerable human beings as it is to traffick drugs."
On his meeting with Mr Chevenement, he said: "We had a successful meeting with a very positive outcome. We are determined to try and combat this trafficking of these very vulnerable human beings."
Justice officials from Dublin have already met members of France's independent office for refugees and displaced persons (OFTRA) to discuss protocols for exchanging fingerprints of asylum-seekers here and in France.
Under EU laws, asylum-seekers must stay in the first EU country they arrive in to seek asylum. It is suspected that many of the people seeking asylum here have arrived from other EU states, particularly France and the United Kingdom.
There have been several instances of asylum-seekers arriving in containers at Rosslare on ferries from Cherbourg and Roscoff in France. These people have been placed in the containers by members of organised crime gangs specialising in trafficking of illegal immigrants.
The Government will, over the summer, introduce legislation to allow the fingerprinting of all asylum-seekers over the age of 14. This information will be checked against data in a central EU computerised information system known as Eurodac.
Anyone found to have made an application in another EU country could then be returned to that country to have their asylum application finalised there.
Mark Brennock adds: The Taoiseach has said Irish legislation on trafficking of people could provide a model for the EU as it seeks to prevent tragedies such as yesterday's.
Mr Ahern, who spoke during an unscheduled debate on the issue at the European Council yesterday evening, told reporters he would be supporting an EU wide initiative on the matter. The European Council conclusions, published today, will contain a commitment to this, he said.