Belfast attack suspect’s movements through Ireland
The Deputy seeks factual information about an alleged Belfast attacker’s time in Ireland, asylum application and documentation. The Minister avoids addressing the specific questions, rejects what he calls an appeal to prejudice, and refers to broader immigration policy; interruptions follow.
Everybody has been shocked by the brutal attack that happened in Belfast this week and by the subsequent riots. Hadi Alodid has been charged for the alleged attack. The Chief Constable in the North of Ireland has said that this individual is a Sudanese national who came to Belfast via Dublin from Paris but no information has been given by the Government as to his movements in this jurisdiction. How long was he in this jurisdiction? I have heard it was 24 hours. Is this true? Did he apply for asylum here? Was the application refused? Did he have a visa? Did he have a passport? Was he checked for criminal records in his background? The world is asking these questions and all we have is dead air from the Government at the moment. Was any of this specific information shared with the authorities in the North of Ireland or is it the case that the Government simply does not know any of this information whatsoever? The Government’s silence is damaging the people's confidence in its ability to manage immigration on an all-Ireland basis. It is creating an information vacuum. Will the Minister tell the people the background of this individual?
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We have had a very strong response to immigration with the asylum and migration pact, which this House has adjudicated on and voted on, and which the Council of State has also adjudicated on. We are now very clear in terms of processing applications quickly in a 12-week period-----
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-----ensuring that we have a very strong robust network throughout Europe to deal collectively what immigration. One thing I will not do is lean into people's fears like the Deputy is. I will not validate prejudice like he tried to do.
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What I will do is work to ensure-----
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I am simply asking factual questions that everybody understands.
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I will work with the Minister for justice, Deputy O’Callaghan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, to ensure that we have a firm immigration system-----
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Will the Minister answer these questions?
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------that we have a fair immigration system and one that is hard on traffickers and smugglers, and where we decide the policy ourselves.
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Why will the Minister not answer any of those questions? That is a disgrace.