GAA Palestine urges U-turn over visa refusal to Gaelic football players
The group, which had planned to bring in 33 Palestinian children and young teenagers, vowed to appeal against the decision and said the setback would not 'deter' them.
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The team of children and 14 of their mentors were to travel to Ireland later this month for a tour, but were denied entry.
The tour was scheduled to begin on July 18th, with more than 100 Irish families volunteering to host the Palestinian group, and numerous GAA clubs fundraising to support the visit.
In a statement, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration said the visas were rejected due to a lack of compliance to visa application criteria.
However, a spokesman for GAA Palestine said it was shocked by the decision of the Irish Immigration Service.
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The ground said that it submitted comprehensive documentation, which included detailed plans for visits to various GAA clubs across Ireland, educational exchanges, and cultural activities as part of its application.
'Contrary to the information communicated in recent correspondence, Irish immigration officials have claimed that the visa applications were refused due to 'insufficient documentation',' the spokesman added.
'We understand from letters sent by the Irish Embassy in Israel that the reason cited was a lack of detailed itineraries and financial arrangements — information that had been provided with the application.
'In fact, GAA Palestine was under the impression that all necessary documentation and information had been provided and met the requirements for visa approval as stated by the Irish Embassy in Israel.'
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Steven Redmond, chairperson of GAA Palestine, said it is committed to working with the department to resolve the issue.
He added: 'Seven days before these young boys and girls were meant to leave the West Bank, we are told that additional documentation is now required — documentation that was already provided or never previously requested or indicated as necessary.
'We went as far as sending a volunteer to the West Bank to assist with additional documentation that was requested as part of our application.
Tánaiste Simon Harris underlined that there are rules governing such moves (Grainne Ni Aodha/PA)
'Nonetheless, GAA Palestine remains committed to collaborating closely with the Department of Justice to resolve this matter swiftly. We have a dedicated team of volunteers ready to respond and take immediate action.
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'We are fully prepared to see this process through. We kindly ask the Government to partner with us in making this happen.
'Volunteers across Ireland are just utterly and completely devasted after all the work and effort put into making this tour happen. It's heartbreaking to see such a promising cultural exchange fall apart at the very last moment.'
The event was set to promote cultural exchange, friendship, and mutual understanding.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris told the Dáil on Thursday: 'I would say, obviously, if there are, and I say this acknowledging that people have actually good faith and people are trying to do something good, we will share that view.
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'Obviously, there are rules in place in relation to visas, particularly when it comes to minors, particularly when it comes to minors not travelling with parents or guardians. There is an appeals process in place.
'I just make that point without overcoming any individual applications.'
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