Colette Kelleher (Independent) | Oireachtas source

In any legislation, a review mechanism is a useful and healthy element. For example, the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 provides for a review to determine whether the measures contained in a number of its sections are achieving their intended consequences. In family reunification legislation, though, there are unintended consequences. What drove us to introduce this Bill was the fact that, on the ground, live issues of access to family reunification were arising as a result. In Izzeddeen Alkarajeh's case, he missed an appointment. It was cancelled. Had he had that appointment, he might have been able to succeed in bringing his mother to Ireland but because it was cancelled and did not then happen until after the International Protection Act's introduction, he could not. That is how arbitrary the legislation is and explains why review mechanisms are important.

In light of the points that Ms Hurley and Mr. Henderson made, legal aid is important. It can steer people in the right direction within the parameters of what is legally possible in order that they avoid submitting claims that will never succeed.