Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As the Tánaiste knows, the Court of Appeal in the North has granted Emma DeSouza's application to appeal and she is due before the court on Friday of this week. The ongoing legal battle has been a huge financial strain on the DeSouza family and they are currently fundraising online to help raise funds for the legal case. They have had to make huge financial sacrifices. I am aware the Oireachtas justice committee has agreed to write to the Tánaiste to explore practical support for Emma and Jake DeSouza in the context of the Irish Government being co-guarantor. What practical support can the Irish Government give this family? Despite the warm words and promises from the British Government, it is actually using its taxpayers' money to challenge Ms DeSouza's Irish citizenship and a core premise of the Good Friday Agreement in the courts.

It is practical support that is needed and I do not think it would be unprecedented to provide it. I know of other court cases the Irish Government has taken in the past to assert citizen's rights. It would be helpful to the family. Collectively in this House, we are looking for practical ways to offer support. Particularly given the fact the Irish Government is co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, this is one way of practically supporting them.

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