The Government's planned new low-cost terminal, Pier D, at Dublin Airport is likely to be delayed while it is redesigned to allow the segregation of incoming and outgoing passengers to ease immigration requirements.
The pier's original design without segregated channels was produced before the State faced its present immigration problems.
The Department of Justice advised Aer Rianta that there must be passenger segregation to facilitate immigration control. It also said Pier D should have inspection areas, detention rooms, a laboratory for examining suspected false documents and offices and accommodation for immigration officers.
It appears the demands will lead to a redesign of the new pier and will likely require new planning permissions.
This will mean that the Government's stated deadline for opening the new pier, before the start of next year's tourist season, may not be met.
Last month the Government directed Aer Rianta to proceed with the construction of the new pier to provide a "rapid turn-around facility" designed to facilitate low-cost carriers like Ryanair and Easyjet. The estimated cost is between €18 million and €24 million. This is likely to increase significantly with the introduction of the immigration facilities.
The immigration and asylum section of the Department of Justice last week stated that immigration controls were needed at all piers in Dublin Airport. It said there was no segregation at Pier A, and that this was posing difficulties for immigration officers. Piers B and C are segregated.
It said: "Rigorous and effective control of incoming passengers is rendered far more difficult given the confluence of both incoming and outgoing passengers at immigration inspection area in Pier A."
It said that this "affords opportunities for traffickers and facilitators to purchase airline tickets for domestic or CTA [Common Travel Area] flights, linger subsequently in the arrivals/departures area, and organise and orchestrate the movement of incoming passengers and provide documents for the purpose of illegal immigration." It said most illegal immigration was controlled by "organised crime groups".
The existing situation at Pier A, it said, caused confusion and frustration for immigration officers and passengers alike.
It added: "It is the view of the immigration authorities that separate and dedicated channels should be provided for passengers from International, CTA and domestic flights at all piers. Flow routes for deplaning CTA and international traffic should funnel into separate sterile corridors before entering the immigration inspection areas."
It concluded: "The challenges faced by the immigration authorities at Dublin Airport are immense and are compounded by the fact that the issue of immigration has attained a new form of prominence in public debate."