Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

Does the Minister establish the welfare of each child and how he or she might be affected by deportation, separation from a parent or family and the service and protection afforded to him or her by the State? Does the Minister examine the relative safety of each child's destination country, the economic and political conditions and whether it is affected by armed conflict? Does he support the values of the Irish Constitution, particularly Article 41, the family article? Both the Irish Constitution and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child highlight the preservation of family life and the right of Irish children to enjoy the company of their parents or other family members. The figure of 396 deportations does not suggest a liberal regime.

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