MINISTER FOR Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has written to party leaders as well as TDs and Senators this week to obtain their views on the future of the controversial special passport facility for members of the Oireachtas.
However, Fine Gael environment spokesman Phil Hogan accused him of "bullying" tactics and creating a "smokescreen" when he should be giving more detailed information on the passports already issued under the scheme.
The issue became a focus of contention when it emerged at the end of January that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern used the little-known special facility when he was minister for finance in 1994 to obtain a passport for Norman Turner, the Manchester-based businessman who was behind the controversial Phoenix Park casino project and who gave $10,000 in cash to Mr Ahern's political fundraiser Des Richardson in the same year.
Mr Hogan said in January that the information meant there was a close relationship between Mr Ahern and Mr Turner which was at odds with the Taoiseach's claim that he opposed the casino project in government and opposition.
Last year, a total of 6,200 passports were issued through the special facility, but Mr Hogan said himself and Labour justice spokesman Pat Rabbitte were demanding a breakdown of this figure, which includes passports granted on an emergency basis to the Health Service Executive and on a humanitarian basis to Government departments.
Commenting on the Minister's letter, Mr Hogan said: "This is a smokescreen for not answering questions properly in the Dáil in respect of the numbers of passports that were processed for various categories of people including members of the Oireachtas."
The Minister told the Dáil on February 26th that he had asked the secretary general of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Dermot Gallagher, "to review all aspects of the facility, including whether it should continue".
In his letter, which has been seen by The Irish Times, he said Mr Gallagher had already established and chaired the first meeting of a departmental committee on the matter and Mr Gallagher expected to deliver a report before the summer recess.
Mr Ahern pointed out that a "special unit" in the Passport Office is responsible for processing the applications which are collected in a "drop box" at Leinster House. Completed passports are generally returned to Leinster House by a department official.
"The committee is particularly interested in receiving input from all Oireachtas members, and in particular those who avail of the facility to have passports processed on behalf of their constituents. Furthermore, I am also writing to party leaders suggesting that a sub-group of the review committee might meet a contact person or persons in their offices to discuss the issues in question," the Minister writes.
A spokesman said last night the Minister had an "open mind" on the matter. "This was introduced at a time when the passport service was less streamlined."
