Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)

The fundamental rules in respect of asylum applications will not change. If a person is fleeing persecution or says there is a threat to his or her life or health as a result of being sent back to a country, those rules will still apply. While people may get a negative or positive decision, it is not going to be affected one way or the other by this readmission agreement. This potential agreement will only have application in circumstances where someone has been told they are not entitled to stay in Ireland. That is the only reason. All those rights, defences and protections will remain. Ultimately, the agreement concerns people from Kazakhstan who are not allowed to stay in Ireland. I am sure that on another occasion I am before this committee I will be told about someone from another country who is not entitled to be here and asked what I am doing about it. At least in this instance, in the context of a Kazakhstani who is not entitled to be in Ireland, I can say we have a readmission agreement in place and that he or she must be sent back under that agreement. If we do not have that readmission agreement in place, there is nothing we can do.