Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

Perhaps I could beg the indulgence of the Leas-Chathaoirleach on this question to the Minister of State.

It is entirely inappropriate for the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to discriminate against legitimate students wishing to enter the country by denying them visa access. They come here through a proper internationally recognised agency and have free access to Dublin business and language schools. However, when they seek permission to attend similar properly structured schools in the provinces, especially in the west, they are refused.

Some 19 students, which represented the full intake for a business and language course in the west of Ireland, were denied access. They were Bangladeshis who had all the proper preparations for entry made, including visa applications, but were turned down. Four of them were refused by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in conjunction with the Department of Foreign Affairs for particularly spurious reasons. There is a feeling of resentment that we are discriminating against these people.

This is an ideal opportunity to promote activity and learning as well as being important for business in the west of Ireland. There is a failure to get any information or response and an appeals mechanism was introduced.