GAA Palestine announces "with a very heavy heart" that Ireland tour cannot proceed
The team of 33 children and 14 mentors was scheduled to depart from the West Bank this morning and arrive in Dublin this Friday, July 18.
The cancellation follows months of reported difficulty communicating with the Department of Justice, which escalated last week when GAA Palestine announced that the Irish Immigration Service had denied their visa applications. GAA Palestine said they appealed the decision, but that 'time has run out to make alternative arrangements.'
'We initially postponed departure for today, as the Department of Justice had informed us they were reviewing the appeal,' GAA Palestine wrote.
'However, the embassy in Tel Aviv is now closed…Even if visas are issued at this late stage, delays at checkpoints and borders are likely to cause severe disruptions and extended delays. Giving the children hope again, only for that hope to be dashed once more, would be too cruel.'
GAA Palestine said they had a driver pick up the touring party's passports from the embassy so that they could pursue alternative travel options to other destinations 'where our children will be welcomed and celebrated.'
While they are unable to visit their hosts in Ireland, they said they 'remain committed' to their mission of providing the young Palestinian athletes with 'the respite and opportunity they deserve.'
'We are profoundly upset for all our GAA Palestine members, for the clubs that went to great lengths to organise this meaningful trip, and for the families who generously volunteered to host our touring party,' GAA Palestine wrote.
'To our sponsors for their generosity, we do hope we can work together again in the future.'
GAA Palestine also acknowledged rumours that they had not provided the necessary documentation in their visa applications or that they submitted their appeal too late.
They refuted such claims, saying they have made all efforts to provide the required documentation and appeals on time, but that their communications had been neglected.
'Despite numerous appeals over the past week requesting engagement, we have received no response from the Department of Justice,' GAA Palestine wrote.
'Our legal team has also attempted to communicate directly with the Department, but we have once again been ignored.'
In the Dil yesterday, Taoiseach Michel Martin called the situation 'perplexing' and claimed GAA Palestine had not adequately organised the trip.
'GAA Palestine has come out of left-field, to be frank,' Martin said.
Sinn Fin's Ruair Murch TDsaid GAA Palestine's appeal had been lodged with the Department of Justice yesterday afternoon, a week after the team announced their plans to appeal.
'It does not sound right to me that an appeal would come in in that manner given that a week or more has passed since the original decision. The whole thing is somewhat perplexing,' Martin said.
In a tense exchange with the Taoiseach, Murch urged the government to address the appeal immediately.
'Will the Taoiseach meet Stephen Redmond?' Murch said.
'He is here now. He is the founder of GAA Palestine…he is in the building at the minute….I do not understand why the Government did not deal with this, even to get it off the agenda.'
'All of it suggests that something is not right, in my view,' Martin said.
'I am not saying anything was done wrong by the organisers but the whole thing seems haphazardly organised. That is all I can say.'
Read GAA Palestine's full statement below: View this post on Instagram
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