Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have opposed sections 115 to 118, inclusive, because I had an overall concern. All the sections relate to policies on international protection. There are a number of flaws - anomalies and measures that are not compliant with human rights - within our international protection legislation, which it is proposed to re-insert here. I will not call votes on each section but I wanted to indicate that the reason I opposed the sections was I had concerns about this Part, because it is a particularly sensitive part. It will have a very real effect. There are many concerns about it and I would like there to have been greater scrutiny. Much of what is in the Part will merely cement what is already in law, and I do not know whether it needs to be included in the Brexit Bill. My amendments Nos. 5 and 6 have been ruled out of order, so I will not speak to them, but they will be addressed in the legislation next week, when we will have an opportunity to discuss the issue of deportations during a global pandemic. I do not mind that the amendments have been ruled out of order because we will have an opportunity to engage on them at that point.