A chara, – Further to “Culture of disrespect at Dublin Airport for passport-free travel area” (Mark Paul, London Letter, World, August 14th), my experience of the Common Travel Area was – eventually – positive. Back in 2010, I was a leader on a cub scout trip to the Isle of Man. We flew with Aer Arann, who assured us that the children would not need passports as we were not leaving the CTA. All of us adults brought ours.
Our arrival into Douglas was seamless but on our return trip into Dublin Airport, the passport control officer informed me that he needed to see passports for all the children.
A brief stand-off followed, as I repeated what Aer Arann had told us.
He repeated himself, gesturing at the fully uniformed cubs behind me.
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I could only shrug and tell him that I had no passports for them.
To this he replied, “Ah sure, go on then.” – Is mise,
BRIAN McARDLE,
Leixlip,
Co Kildare.
