The Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, will know there is a sense that the enforcement of negative decisions within the international protection system is not working. I would appreciate it if he could outline to the House the percentage of those who received final negative decisions who voluntarily left Ireland within the 30-day period and subsequently provided authorities with evidence that they had done so within three days of arrival in their home countries.

I am just not sure whether the Minister of State has actually answered the question. In respect of the numbers he provided on voluntary returns - 934 and 885, if I noted them correctly - can he confirm that the people notified the authorities with the appropriate documentation within three days of having voluntarily left? Could he give a breakdown differentiating between those who made their own arrangements to leave and those who received assistance from the voluntary returns unit? This is fundamental. There are t…

It would be useful if the Minister of State explained to the House the process for tracking and monitoring those who receive a final negative decision to ensure they leave Ireland as required. How many people are now in the State who have received a final negative decision but who have not left voluntarily, even if they have indicated an intention to do so? It is important to know how many are now currently subject to the deportation order. Do we have information on the precise locations of those people who have re…

The Minister will know there is significant concern in the legal profession and elsewhere on the time it has taken for the civil legal aid review group to complete its work. I understand he has now received the report from that group. Can the Minister give us an outline of the findings of the report which he previously cited in response to me and could he give an indication of when that report will be published?

As the Minister may recall, my interest in this matter comes from several different angles but particularly as a result of work I have done with women, predominantly, who have sought protection or barring orders and have tried to secure legal representation under the civil legal aid entitlements but cannot get legal representation. The Minister told me this would be considered in the context of this review. While increasing access to legal aid is absolutely laudable at the centre of this particular crisis, I am tol…

What the Minister has described to me sounds like many further delays. For these women in particular, I want to know if this is going to be addressed.

I understand there are processes involved but this is three years in the making and now the Minister is talking about consultation processes. He must put himself in the shoes of those who want to secure a barring order or a civil protection order but currently cannot get legal representation. If they were listening to two politicians talk about process, the Minister can imagine the frustration that would be there. Can the Minister give a timeframe for when this particular issue will be resolved? Further, to put on …

The Minister's Government is all over the place on student fees. We have had the Minister for higher education, Deputy Lawless, clearly state on Sunday that without a cost-of-living package in the budget, college fees will go up by €1,000 in September. His position was then backed up by the Taoiseach. Let us clear up this mess today. I have just one simple question for the Minister and it is the same question that has been anxiously asked at kitchen tables all over the country. When students get their bill in Septe…

One question. One answer.

The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister for higher education, the Minister for public expenditure and now the Minister for Finance cannot answer the simplest question that will have a life-defining impact on many students who are having conversations today, which will impact the rest of their lives, on whether they can travel to university or college or whether they must find somewhere more local and whether they will be able to afford a place to rent or whether they will have to commute. They do not want to hear…

Answer the question, please, Minister.

Answer the question. What is your solution?

The answer was given by the Minister for higher education, who said fees are going up.

They are going to college in September. The budget is not until October.

Major research conducted jointly by Dublin City University and Ulster University published this morning highlights how the reunification of Ireland is a huge opportunity for us all. It finds that the costs of unity would be far lower than had previously been put forward by opponents of Irish unity. In my view the research has delivered a fatal blow to any economic arguments that might have been presented against a united Ireland. This is good news and exciting news. It shows that there are opportunities and benefit…

We are being asked to debate three distinct motions as part of one debate to facilitate an early opt-in to proposed EU regulations. Until yesterday afternoon, we were due to be dealing with four motions. The withdrawal of the motion on the returns regulation reinforces everything Sinn Féin has been saying, and which I will address here, about why we should not opt in to these regulations under Article 3 of Protocol 21. It is astounding and concerning that the Government was planning to push through an Article 3 opt…

It is like an episode of "Love Island".

It is scandalous that there are children with special needs today whose parents do not know whether they will be able to start school in the new term because the necessary SNA support is not yet in place. To give one example, there is a rural school in County Monaghan which has one SNA and one pupil who depends full time on this support. Another pupil is due to start at the school next month, who will also need a full-time SNA. This is the position of the school, the position of the preschool which the child is att…

Yes.

That is no comfort to this family.