Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)

When Putin invaded Ukraine, the Irish Government was clear in its welcome to Ukrainians who were fleeing a brutal invasion and war. The Palestinian people for two years - longer in reality - have been facing absolute horror and they continue to face it. It is fine to say the information is all on the website, but the Minister and I know that many of these cases are quite complex. We write to the Minister and then we are told that, for example, guidance cannot be provided on visas applications that have not yet been submitted. In many cases, however, what these people need is assistance in making the best application they can. We need practical guidance on how to advise people of their visas options. We do not really have that knowledge.

Ideally we would have a dedicated contact point to assist with some of the more challenging cases that come to us so that people can make whatever application they need to make.

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