Jim Higgins (Fine Gael)

These are the people who are now rightly lobbying the political stalwarts in the United States on behalf of the undocumented Irish. There is a strong ongoing lobby in respect of legalising the status of young undocumented Irish people. There is considerable doublethink in respect of Ireland, our thinking, racism, coloured people and asylum.

I agree wholeheartedly with Senator Ryan. I tangled for four years and drew the sword out of the scabbard every day as spokesman on justice while Deputy O'Donoghue was Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. I genuinely believe he would not have done to the young man in question what has been done by the present Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell. I know the Minister has a job to do and that he must impose the law but the one underpinning assurance he gave us was that he would use his discretion. If ever there was a case of discretion not being used, it is that of the deportation of this young man. We need to have a debate urgently.