David Norris (Independent)

I thank the Minister of State for his reply, the last paragraph of which was helpful. The antepenultimate paragraph of the reply states, "A copy of the submission prepared by officials of the Department at the time was forwarded to the applicant for his information." I have just confirmed with the person involved, who is present in the Visitor's Gallery, that it was not forwarded to him.

The Minister of State has not addressed the subject of the matter, which was the need for the Minister to provide the information, which he has not done. There has been some back-tracking. The Minister of State said, "If ... an applicant considers the Minister's decision has been based on incorrect or incomplete information, it is open to him or her to seek a review of that decision." We are seeking such a review.

The Minister of State should take back to the persons responsible in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform that it is not good enough in a 21st century European democracy to behave in this Kafkaesque way. The gentleman in the Visitor's Gallery demands to know who put a black mark against him and what is that black mark. I want the officials in the Department to know I will pursue this matter to the bitter end. Woe for them if they have behaved wrongly because, if I cannot get an answer in the Oireachtas, I will make sure in the courts of this land that I get an answer in justice and decency for all the people in this country.