Section 250 of the Principal Act is amended -

(a) by inserting the following subsections after subsection (16) (amended by section 13 of the Act of 2011):

"(16A) For the purposes of ensuring compliance with this Act, a social welfare inspector may attend at any port.

(16B) Where, while attending at any port for the purposes of ensuring compliance with this Act, a social welfare inspector -

(a) has reasonable grounds to believe that there has been a contravention of this Act, and

(b) is accompanied by -

(i) a member of the Garda Síochána,

(ii) an officer of Customs and Excise, or

(iii) an immigration officer,

the social welfare inspector concerned may, on production of his or her certificate of appointment -

(i) question and make enquiries of a person who is a passenger at the port and is preparing to embark, or is embarking, from, or has landed in, the State in relation to any matter that concerns compliance with this Act, and