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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation

Galway family facing accommodation move

Summary

Deputy Connolly raised the case of a Palestinian family in Galway, including a pregnant woman and two children, who were told to move from their accommodation. The Tánaiste said he would speak to the relevant Ministers and ask them to revert directly to her.

I am going back to the Palestinian situation and I will go local in Galway. This is something where the Government can make its sweet words mean something.

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Martin Heydon Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Fine Gael

Stop it.

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This issue concerns a Palestinian couple. The man came here last May and was joined by his wife and their two children in June. She is currently 12 weeks pregnant. Inhumanely, yesterday they received a letter telling them they had to move from their accommodation in Galway. The wife is pregnant and the two children are in the local school within walking distance. I wrote in desperation to IPAS and I also wrote to the Minister. Other than an acknowledgement that they were looking at it, nothing happened. On the ground, however, something happened and the family had to move from their roots in Galway up to Dublin. There was no acknowledgement from the Government that this is inhumane or of the trauma we have described this afternoon. They managed to get some type of peace and to settle in Galway and then they were moved like a product.

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Simon Harris The Tánaiste Fine Gael

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue on behalf of this couple and her constituents in Galway and also for her representations to the Minister for Justice, Deputy O’Callaghan, on this matter. I will speak to the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, and ask them to come back to the Deputy directly on this. I obviously do not know the circumstances directly but I will certainly take an active interest. Either I or one of the Ministers will come back to the Deputy on this matter.

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