Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

A constituent of mine from Wicklow has to present himself tomorrow for deportation. It is two weeks out from Christmas, we are in the middle of a pandemic and this man has lived in the country for 14 years contributing to his community during that time. It is inhumane to deport someone after 14 years of living somewhere.

Unfortunately, he and many others are being caught in this limbo land between an old system that we all agree is not fit for purpose and the Government has committed to reform and those reforms being formalised and being put in place. Does the Taoiseach agree that, unless in instances of national security, deportations should be stopped during the pandemic and that when people are being assessed under the current process the intent of the new Government policy and the recommendations of the Catherine Day report should be taken into consideration during that processing and assessment?

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