3 days ago
Taoiseach says he hopes GAA Palestine visa issue case can be resolved
TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has said he hopes the issues over Palestinian GAA team's visa applications can be resolved.
Speaking at Farmleigh yesterday evening, Martin said the 'fundamental issue, from what I can gather, is the wellbeing of the children and the care of the children and ensuring proper guardianship and so on'.
As reported by
The Journal
this week, the group has been informed by the Irish Immigration Service that their visa applications have been refused due to 'insufficient documentation'.
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The GAA Palestine group, which helped to lodge the visa applications for 47 Palestinians who belong to sports clubs in the West Bank, has said they are shocked by the decision, and have refuted that any of the requested documentation was not provided.
GAA Palestine had plans in place for 47 Palestinians to travel here, including 33 children aged between 9 and 16 years of age.
A total of 152 families in Ireland had signed up to host the group as they were to travel around Ireland.
The tour was due to kick off on 18 July, and it had garnered major support from Irish host families who were to welcome the Palestinians into their homes, and from clubs that have been fundraising to help finance the trip.
Tánaiste Simon Harris said yesterday that 'careful consideration' was given to a number of Palestinian visa applications who wished to travel to Ireland for a GAA tour this month.
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The Taoiseach said that Ireland's visa system is fair and objective, 'so we don't regularly intervene in the operation of that'.
He added that the Minister for Justice is aware of the situation.
'Hopefully these issues can be resolved, but there is an appeals process there, I think that should be utilised,' concluded the Taoiseach.
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