Exactly two weeks ago, I raised the case of the imminent deportation of two care workers from Zimbabwe. I see yesterday Deputy Gannon raised the same issue. The Taoiseach's response to him was: "I do not know the individual cases [about those working in the health service]...If Deputy Gannon has the details [please pass them on]... I will follow them up." When I raised it with the Taoiseach two weeks ago, I passed on the details. I then found out that the Taoiseach's civil servant passed them on to another civil servant who passed them on to yet another civil servant who then got INIS, the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, to write back to the women to confirm their deportation.

These are women who work in our health service. They may be the same two Zimbabweans who Deputy Gannon referred to yesterday or they may be different ones. If they are another two, then more shame. How does this system work? The Taoiseach says he will take it up and then he kicks it around the civil servants. It then goes back to them to reaffirm that they will be deported. Will the Taoiseach give us an answer that he will deal with it and not kick it to touch with various Departments? Will he actually deal with it and allow these brave health workers, who have worked through the worst of the pandemic-----

Thank you Deputy.

-----live in this country with respect?

Maybe the Deputy can deal with it a bit better as well in terms of process.

I am not the Taoiseach.

I have helped people who were on the imminent deportation list. Why? Because people contacted me and gave me the cases personally. I would have seen to it and engaged with INIS and with the relevant Minister of the day, even when I was in opposition. I did not make a song and dance about it. I just dealt with it.

But the Taoiseach did not deal with this.

I take the Deputy's point and will follow that up. Coming in out of the blue raising cases is fine. The Deputy is entitled to do that and it creates profile for the issue. I am not so sure, however, it actually advances the case of the individual concerned. I do not think-----

I did not-----

I have the floor.

I did say genuinely to Deputy Gannon that I do not think anyone should be deported to any red zone country during the Covid pandemic. Equally, if people are working in our health service, we need to ascertain their status in our health service and see if we can retain them.

Nothing happened. I sent in the details. This is ridiculous.