David Norris (Independent)

I have a couple of points regarding the situation pertaining in the health service and the rights of elderly people in nursing homes. It would be useful if spokespersons on all sides avoided the words "pocket money". It is rather degrading to elderly people to treat them like children — it is their money. We owe the President thanks for referring this Bill to the Supreme Court. She was correct in so doing and has done us all a service. She is a lawyer and spotted that retrospective legislation must be questioned. I am not a lawyer but even I spotted that when the legislation was going through the House and I made the point, as did other people.

What concerns me is the effect this may have on the most vulnerable people in our society. I would hate to think that money might be diverted from the elderly in order to pay the bill the State may find itself facing, in particular since I visited St. Mary's Hospital in the Phoenix Park a couple of days ago where a remarkable staff is coping in deplorable conditions in an heroic way. I intend to seek an Adjournment debate on this matter.

As somebody who has consistently opposed certain elements of American foreign policy, I am occasionally accused of being anti-American. I am not. In that manner I strongly deplore and condemn the attack in Mayo on American basketball players, two of whom were left seriously injured after anti-American slogans had been shouted at them. This is utterly deplorable and I condemn it absolutely.

Will the Leader raise with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, as a matter of urgency, a matter that came to my attention yesterday regarding an applicant for refugee status? He has an almost unpronounceable name, Mr. Nchedochukwu Obi-Igweilp. I will supply the letter. The reason it is significant is that this man was a human rights activist in Nigeria. He was told to report to the police station today on foot of a situation where he may be deported at any time from today. The refugee legal service made an appeal on his behalf, but it was a standard appeal. There was no reference to the case, the facts, the merits, and they even got his gender wrong. They referred to him consistently throughout this alleged appeal as "she".

In the circumstances we should ask that this matter be reopened before this man is deported to a situation where he may be in danger. I will be happy to pass on the correspondence to the Leader.