Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

To follow on from Senator Black's point, I do not believe we should accept the UK as a role model in how refugees should be dealt with. We would have had a fair degree of contact directly with people in direct provision. With respect to the Minister's temporary measure whereby people will be able to apply under the Work Permit Act 2003, we have not met any people who will be able to avail of that. As for the notion that they would be able to get jobs that pay €30,000 a year or come up with €500 for six months, they must be hiding somewhere because we certainly have not seen them.

Given that the Supreme Court has ruled that it will be unconstitutional to bar those people from working after 9 February, has the Minister sought legal advice given that at least 99% of those people will not have any opportunity to avail of the ruling of the Supreme Court? Has the Government sought legal advice around that? Has it no fear of reprisal or of people seeking to have justice restored at a later date?