Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

——deportations. There is a new EU initiative on sharing the costs of flights and co-operation in organising such flights.

The figures are often disappointing to the GNIB and one of the problems is that those who are arrested to be deported gain access to lawyers who commence judicial review proceedings. Members may have heard about a family making an application to the High Court for judicial review on the basis that some members suffered from epilepsy and better medical treatment is available in Ireland than Romania. In that instance, space on the plane was left empty. Happily, the High Court has decided that the grounds were invalid. One may schedule a flight for a certain number of people and then discover that a considerable fraction of them is excused at the last moment due to judicial reviews and injunction proceedings. The Department is considering sending a letter, which we hope will be judicially supported, to the effect that any argument should be made immediately and that any application for judicial review at the 11th hour will not be accepted.

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