Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his detailed response. I certainly hope the Department will move to issue a simple assurance that no deportations will occur during the Covid pandemic. At the very least we would ask that no deportation orders be issued and, ideally, that leave to remain be granted in the case of Mr. Iqbal, which I outlined earlier. I also ask that consideration be given to the many healthcare workers who received similar notifications last Friday, many of whom have been in direct provision for more than two years.

I was glad to hear the Minister of State refer to the expert group under Dr. Catherine Day. I understand that a key recommendation in its report on direct provision is that anybody who has been in the system for more than two years should be given leave to remain in the country. I ask that the Department at least deliberate on the findings of this report before adjudicating on the status of Mr. Iqbal and others who were issued similar notifications last week.

See this speech in context