Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I have one more question. On the recent deportations, does the Minister think he could have done that better? There was no human rights observer on the flight to Nigeria. There are 197 children currently standing with deportation orders hanging over them. I am not suggesting that anyone who comes in here with children can stay if they do not meet the criteria. However, the Minister acknowledged that the system is broken. People are being left in the system for too long awaiting decisions. That is more pronounced when it comes to children. They are in our schools for a year, two years, three years or even more. Surely, there can be some degree of an amnesty for the children who have already been failed by the system the Minister speaks of while he is improving and making the situation better.