Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Members of my family went to America as immigrants and have fought for people who are there illegally. I stress that I support the principle that the arguments made by the Irish Government in Washington should be the same as those we articulate here about our illegal immigrants. There should be an equality of our ideas in this context, but what is missing from the presentation today is a humanitarian consideration of people who are driven by economic reasons to cross borders all over the world to look for work. Part of the process in Ireland is very slow, especially the part relating to people's rights to challenge a deportation order. I am faced on a weekly basis with people who are challenging such orders in the courts and the problem is that many cases have been in process for five, six, seven, eight, nine and even ten years. Due to our legal system the decision is delayed for a significant number of years and in many cases these people's children have gone through primary school and are valued and important members of the community in the local national school. They are wanted on the local football team, the local soccer team or the local volleyball team. Do the witnesses see that there is a humanitarian issue arising from the delay in the processing of their applications and that this gives them a valid case to be allowed to stay? Would the fact that the community in which they live wants them to be part of that community be a factor in considering an amnesty for these people?