The Minister and I are not close in terms of our views on the subject of immigration. We come from different parts of the political spectrum in that regard. The amendment proposed by the Minister addresses section 12 of the Immigration Act, following the outcome of the recent High Court case, Dokie v. DPP. I welcomed that judgment because section 12 of the Immigration Act is a repressive measure and discriminates against people. I would prefer if it was discarded. Some will argue that section 12 is designed as an immigration control mechanism but the reality is that it discriminates against people who may have a different accent, look different or have a different ethnic background. Irish citizens are not required by law to carry identification cards, yet immigration legislation states that non-nationals must present identification on demand. How does a garda or an immigration officer determine who to ask for an identification card? It leads to racial profiling, which is why I would prefer to see it in the abandoned rather than on our Statute Book. We should not have included it in this legislation.

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