New border control gates are being introduced at Dublin Airport to enhance security and speed up immigration queues.

The e-Gates will allow travellers with biometric Passports or Irish passport cards to pass through by scanning their document and having their photo taken.

20 Gates will be initially installed at the Airport and one immigration officer will be able to monitor multiple gates.

In 2016 the Airport immigration services processed a record 13.8 million arriving passengers and it's hoped these gates will dramatically cut the waiting times.

If successful they will be rolled out to other ports of entry.

Welcoming the contract signing, Minister Flanagan said, “Following a very thorough pilot programme and competitive tender, I believe that we’ve found a solution that matches our goals and requirements. We look forward to working with Vision-Box, through the award of this framework agreement.

The introduction of e-Gates will greatly enhance our immigration controls, including our border security, while at the same time providing an improved passenger experience through self-service and speedier passage through the immigration process.”  

Irish and other EU travellers over 18 years with e-Passports and holders of the Irish Passport Card may use the e-Gates.