The European Parliament will vote on whether EU airlines can be forced to share passenger details, in a bid to prevent terrorism acts in Europe.
The EU PNR (Passenger Name Record) directive, a measure requiring more systematic collection, use and retention of airline passengers' personal data including travel dates and itineraries, contact details and payment information, will be voted on in the Parliament on Thursday.
The proposal was rejected twice before in the interest of privacy, but are being reconsidered in the wake of recent terrorist attacks in Europe.
Irish MEP Sean Kelly has backed the proposal, claiming that it is necessary to protect the EU from terrorism. His fellow Fine Gael MEPs Deirdre Clune, Brian Hayes and Mairead McGuinness will also vote for the legislation.
However, other Irish MEPs have spoken out against the proposals and plan to vote against it. Speaking to The Irish Times, Independent MEP Nessa Childers said PNR was “a bad deal for both the liberty and the security of European citizens”. Sinn Féin’s MEPs have also said they will vote against it.
Deirdre Clune MEP of Fine Gael criticised those attempting to block the directive. “That is political posturing at its worst – disingenuously hidden behind unjustified privacy concerns,” she said.
