Justice Minister can’t just decide to ignore our laws

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Justice Minister Helen McEntee. Photo: Collins

December 06 2021 02:30 AM

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The recent announcement by Justice Minister Helen McEntee that she is granting Irish residency to thousands of ‘undocumented’ raises some important questions.

Firstly, most of these people could hardly be described as ‘undocumented’ as most have already been through the asylum process and had their applications rejected. Far from being undocumented, the fact that these people do not qualify for Irish citizenship has already been extensively documented. Vexatious appeals (funded by the ever patient Irish taxpayer) and lobbying by migrant NGOs doesn’t change this simple fact.

We now have the spectacle whereby the Justice Minister, instead of upholding the law, has decided to ignore it. This has been done without debate and without consultation with the Irish people. Instead, the wholesale flouting of the country’s immigration laws has been presented as some sort of good news story.

The question has to be asked – if the Justice Minister is not required to uphold the laws of the land, then why should Irish citizens be required to do so?

Brian Deane

Wilton, Co Cork

Nphet advice should remain free of political interference

“It is understood chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan and Nphet’s head of modelling faced criticism from the Taoiseach and Tánaiste over the manner of how their latest advice was made public’’, (‘Another Covid Christmas crisis’, Irish Independent, December 4). Politicians are calling for Nphet advice to be secreted from the public for political leaders to frame it and implement measures from political, economic and lobby perspectives rather than ensuring the safety of the Irish people.

The hostility of the previous government, and now the present Government, has resulted in many crises in the last two years. We cannot trust this disconnected, fragmented and disjointed Government to take care of all citizens. The public needs to see the advice of Nphet, a trusted body in the midst of this pandemic.

Hugh McDermott