Seanad debates

Thursday, 3 December 2020

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage

 

9:30 am

Photo of Alice-Mary HigginsAlice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I accept the Minister's point on documentation and it is fair, because the wording, as it is at present, is too wide in terms of what the reasonable grounds might be and where they would be set out. I am concerned about the interpretational issue and perhaps that is something on which we can engage with the Minister. It concerns the issue of reasonable grounds, what constitutes reasonable grounds and what the guidance might be that accompanies that. Again, Members will be discussing our own legislation next week, which will open up the international protection legislation and I hope the Minister might also bring legislation to revisit some of the issues we are discussing now, possibly in the spring. I do believe the documentation point is well made and perhaps I could have worded the amendment better but while I will not press my amendment because it is too specific, I am really worried that the language in the Bill at the moment is too open and I am very concerned about adverse consequences for persons who are under the age of 18 and are subject to potentially distressing situations that might arise under subsections (4) and (4). Perhaps the Minister can find a way to engage with us on that issue again.

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