Simon Harris defends controversial visa refusal for Palestine GAA kids
GAA Palestine had planned to bring in 33 Palestinian children and young teenagers to Ireland later this month for a tour, but were denied entry. They were to be accompanied by 14 mentors.
The tour was scheduled to begin on 18 July, with more than 100 Irish families volunteering to host the Palestinian group, and numerous GAA clubs fundraising to support the visit.
A spokesman for GAA Palestine said it was shocked by the decision of the Irish Immigration Service.
It argued 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.
In the Dáil, Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty described the decision to reject the visa applications as 'cruel'.
In response, Mr Harris said there were 'child protection issues' associated with the case.
He said: 'We are not just talking about 33 children seeking to come to Ireland. We are also talking about a number of adults, almost all of whom are not the parents of any of the children.
'We have strict rules on migration and who can come into our country. It has to be a rules-based system. I do not want to go too far into the application. I am sure everyone is engaging in good faith.
'There is certainly not an effort by the State to seek to block or be difficult here. I am engaging in good faith on this too. There are rules and processes. There is an appeals process available.'
Social Democrats TD Sinead Gibney stated that GAA Palestine is 'adamant' that the paperwork is in order and argued that 'if this was a group of Israeli kids because the rules-based system has different rules for different groups they would enjoy visa-free travel here'.
However, the Tánaiste denied the charge and once again insisted that the rules have to be followed.
He continued: 'We are not tearing up our rules-based migration system. If God forbid anything happened to any child from any part of this country who came in here unaccompanied by a parent, the Minister would be hauled in here and asked what he did and why did he let it happen.
'Child protection matters. There is no short circuit. There is no round the back of the scrum. Do not dare do Israel versus Palestine. This is child protection. We have a visa system. We have rules on this.'
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said that '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.'
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.
'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.
'We are fully prepared to see this process through. We kindly ask the Government to partner with us in making this happen.'
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