John Kelly (Labour) | Oireachtas source

To follow on from Senator Denis O'Donovan's contribution, I know of a case in which an Iraqi-born national who has lived in Saudi Arabia since he was five years of age is trying to do business with a Galway-based company that manufactures affordable housing units, some 65,000 of which are required in Saudi Arabia. The Department of Justice and Equality is refusing this man a visa to come to the country for four days to view the product the Galway company has to offer. It is time the Department started to think about jobs. We have an unemployment crisis, yet it is refusing this company the opportunity to create a large number of jobs in the country, for what reason I have no idea. The Deputy Leader might bring this issue to the fore in order that we can have a debate with the Minister for Justice and Equality to find out what is going on. If the man in question wanted a visa to travel to any other European country, he would have it in four days. In this country, however, for reasons that are a mystery to most Iraqis and Saudis, it takes 12 or 14 weeks. Then for some unknown reason the person concerned is refused and has to go through an appeals process, by which stage the business could be lost. The only option open to the company in question is to either go through the appeals process which could take months and again end in refusal, or else move to the United Kingdom to do business with the man mentioned. I call on the Deputy Leader to bring the Minister for Justice and Equality to the House in order that we can get answers to all of these questions. I find it particularly difficult to deal with the Department of Justice and Equality when it comes to visa applications. When people are refused and a politician is brought into the mix to try to deal with these guys, it becomes even more frustrating. I call on the Deputy Leader to solve this problem in some shape or form.