Latest news with #GAA Palestine
Irish Times
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
GAA Palestine suffers €38,000 loss on travel as tour to Ireland left in limbo
GAA Palestine has suffered a loss of €38,000 on non-refundable travel arrangements after the Department of Justice refused their visa application last week to bring 33 children from the West Bank on a two-week tour of Ireland, the organisation said on Tuesday. The group said the Irish Embassy in Tel Aviv had insisted on the purchase of flights before visas were approved, which the organisation condemned as 'reckless'. It receives no central funding and relied on donations to fund its trip. GAA Palestine was established in early 2024 and is not officially recognised by the GAA authority in Ireland, though organisers have said this process is nearing completion. The group was due to arrive in Dublin this Friday, with plans to play a series of friendly and competitive hurling matches with clubs across the island, visit various localities and partake in intercultural exchange activities. READ MORE They were to return to the West Bank two weeks later on August 1st. They were informed last Wednesday, 10 days before their planned departure, of their visa applications being refused. Describing the situation as 'deeply disappointing', the group said it was hopeful that a last-minute resolution could be found. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said in the Dáil he is 'perplexed' at the way GAA Palestine approached seeking visas for the 33 Gazan children and 14 adults to travel to Ireland. He said 'the whole thing seems haphazardly organised', as he questioned why no appeal had been made, a week after visas were initially refused. Mr Martin said he was worried a 'certain narrative' is being created that the Government is anti-Palestinian or not facilitating Palestinians coming to Ireland through medical evacuations or with the GAA Palestine organisation for a hurling summer tour. [ Heartbreak as Palestinian GAA players are refused visas to visit Ireland Opens in new window ] Sinn Féin's Ruairí Ó Murchú said an appeal was lodged with the Department of Justice at 1.15pm on Tuesday and he hoped the visas could be delivered by 2pm tomorrow. Otherwise 'there will be an issue in relation to moving through with the issue of violence from settlers because that's the reality that these children are dealing with'. Mr Martin told TDs, 'I am dealing with this' but said that 'given a week has passed since the original decision I find the whole thing somewhat perplexing'. He told TDs 'normally, what would happen is a sporting organisation would come to the Government and say 'we want to organise' well in advance' and that 'there's something wrong here'. It was a serious matter and they could not ignore normal visa procedures, he said. They had to have proper documentation, proper passports and there had to be consent for children travelling with adults who are not their parents.
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
GAA Palestine denied visas for summer tour of Ireland
A group of players and mentors from GAA Palestine have had their visa applications denied ahead of a summer tour in the Republic of group of 47 Palestinian young people and coaches from the West Bank were scheduled to participate in a tour of the country later this Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration said that a lack of compliance to visa application criteria was the reason for visa Palestine have said they are "deeply disappointed and shocked" by the decision. Last week, the club changed plans to travel to Northern Ireland due to "unexpected" British visa delays. The club said the visa applications were submitted in mid-May, with "comprehensive documentation" which included detailed plans for visits to various GAA clubs across added that the applicants, comprising 33 children, had fulfilled all requested requirements and provided all necessary club said it 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." 'Completely devastated' The Chairperson of GAA Palestine, Stephen Redmond said a volunteer was sent to the West Bank to assist with the application process."Nonetheless, GAA Palestine remains committed to collaborating closely with the Department of Justice to resolve this matter swiftly," he said. "We have a dedicated team of volunteers ready to respond and take immediate action."Mr Redmond said volunteers across Ireland are "utterly and completely devastated" by the denial of the tour was scheduled to begin on 18 July, with over 100 Irish families volunteering to host the Palestinian group, and numerous GAA clubs fundraising to support the visit. "The event was set to promote cultural exchange, friendship, and mutual understanding, and its cancellation is a significant setback for all involved," Mr Redmond said. What has the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration said? In a statement the department said: "Each visa application is decided on its own merits."Confirming that appropriate child protection requirements are in place is essential when considering visa applications for minors."This includes a requirement that a child is travelling with their parents or an appropriate guardian, which requires additional documents to be verified such as birth certificates and consent letters," it added."In adult cases, evidence of financial means, employment or other ties that indicate a person intends to return home are important criteria. These help to establish that a person has a legitimate reason to come to Ireland, and that they will comply with the conditions of a short-term visa."An application will be refused if it cannot demonstrate compliance with such conditions. An appeals process is available to anyone who has a visa application refused." 'Incomprehensible' Sinn Féin TD (MP) Matt Carthy said: "It is incomprehensible that a resolution could not be found to address any issues with visa applications."Carthy said he wrote to relevant ministers three weeks ago urging them to ensure that the visa process was "concluded swiftly" but received no called on Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan to urgently intervene and review the decision, adding that the children involved "deserve more than bureaucratic refusals".Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney said the government should be "moving heaven and earth" to ensure the group can travel to the country."For the department to raise issues with their paperwork now, days before they are due to fly to Ireland, is both heartless and cruel. "If there were any issues, they should have been raised long ago."She added that the government regularly uses strong language when it talks about Gaza and Palestine but "it is never followed up by action".Gibney said that the visa denial treats the group with "suspicion and disdain" and "it will be a stain on this government that will never be erased".
BreakingNews.ie
10-07-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Palestinian GAA players are refused visas to visit Ireland
A group of young GAA players from Palestine have been refused visas to visit Ireland this month. Visa applications for 47 members of GAA Palestine were rejected seven days before their visit was due to begin. Advertisement GAA Palestine said it was "deeply disappointed" with the refusal decision and would "immediately" appeal. "Our Irish visa applications for the GAA Palestine summer tour has been refused by the Irish immigration service," the organisation said in a statement on Instagram on Wednesday. "Our hearts right now are with the 33 young hurlers and 14 mentors who are so looking forward to being welcomed to Ireland next week. Against all odds we're doing all we can to make this tour happen. We're not giving up hope." Sinn Fein said it was "incomprehensible" a resolution could not be found to address any issues with visa applications. Advertisement People Before Profit described the visa rejections as an "utter disgrace". Ireland Government accused of putting 'wrangling' over sic... Read More A spokesman for the Department of Justice said it operated "a rule-based visa system" with each application "decided on its own merits". "Verifying an application is an important part of our immigration system and the checks involved can take time to complete," he told The Irish Times. "It is important to note that when minors are seeking to travel to Ireland, a visa officer must be satisfied that the children are travelling in the company of their parents or an appropriate guardian. "Documents such as birth certificates and consent letters are regularly requested to establish the relationship between a child and the adult they are travelling with."
