Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, a seven-judge verdict from the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favour of an asylum seeker challenging the State's ban on him seeking employment. Clearly, this is a significant and, in my view, welcome judgment with many ramifications. The Supreme Court found, in principle, the ban in the Refugee Act on asylum seekers seeking employment ran contrary to the right to seek employment as set out in the Constitution. I am thinking of Zac, Yalda and many others who I met in the Eyre Powell Hotel in Newbridge to whom this would be welcome information. Will the Department act swiftly to rectify this situation and when can we expect legislation from the Minister to do this?

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