Rónán Mullen (Independent)

While it is important to have rules and regulations in respect of the entry of people to our country, we should never forget the human dignity of those with whom we are dealing. A failure to recognise the latter sometimes marks our immigration procedures.

Figures provided by the Central Statistics Office indicate that the number of female lone parents with children under 20 years of age almost doubled, from 65,000 to approximately 122,000, over a ten-year period. At the same time, the number of lone male parents increased from 8,100 to 9,700.