Carol Nolan Demands Deportation of Non-Nationals After Tullamore
Carol Nolan challenged the Minister for Justice over deportation of non-nationals convicted of serious crimes, citing the Tullamore 2022 case and the death of Ashton Murphy in Offaly. She urged radical and forceful implementation of existing statutes, including the Immigration Act 1999, to remove convicted offenders who pose a danger to public safety.
Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 allows the Minister for Justice to sign a deportation order against a person who has served or is serving a term of imprisonment imposed by an Irish court. The Deputy noted additional considerations in deportation decisions include criminal convictions, character, conduct and whether an individual's presence poses a threat to public safety or the common good.
The Deputy referenced the incident in Tullamore in 2022 and said what happened to Ashton Murphy in Offaly was shocking for her family and the wider community. She described assaults on young women as "barbaric acts of savagery" and asked if non-nationals who commit such crimes should be deported next.
The Minister acknowledged the shock of the Ashton Murphy case and affirmed that removal of convicted criminals who endanger public safety is always a priority for the Minister for Justice. The Minister pointed to mechanisms under the Free Movement Regulations 2015, noting a particular threshold in Barr for using that directive and that coordination on individual cases involves Angarde Siakana working with the Irish Prison Service.
The exchange centred on calls to prioritise public safety and to more rigorously apply existing deportation law. The Deputy urged an end to "catering to their so-called rights" and pressed for the State to "radically and forcefully implement" the statutes already on the books.
Legal framework
Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 allows the Minister for Justice to sign a deportation order against a person who has served or is serving a term of imprisonment imposed by an Irish court. The Deputy noted additional considerations in deportation decisions include criminal convictions, character, conduct and whether an individual's presence poses a threat to public safety or the common good.
Case cited
The Deputy referenced the incident in Tullamore in 2022 and said what happened to Ashton Murphy in Offaly was shocking for her family and the wider community. She described assaults on young women as "barbaric acts of savagery" and asked if non-nationals who commit such crimes should be deported next.
Minister's response
The Minister acknowledged the shock of the Ashton Murphy case and affirmed that removal of convicted criminals who endanger public safety is always a priority for the Minister for Justice. The Minister pointed to mechanisms under the Free Movement Regulations 2015, noting a particular threshold in Barr for using that directive and that coordination on individual cases involves Angarde Siakana working with the Irish Prison Service.
Implications for enforcement
The exchange centred on calls to prioritise public safety and to more rigorously apply existing deportation law. The Deputy urged an end to "catering to their so-called rights" and pressed for the State to "radically and forcefully implement" the statutes already on the books.
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Transcript
Minister, our immigration law explicitly allows for deportation in cases of criminal convictions, particularly in relation to serious or violent convictions. This includes provisions such as those outlined in the Immigration Act 1999 as amended. Section 3 states that the Minister for Justice may sign a deportation order against a person who has served or is serving a term of imprisonment imposed by an Irish court. Additional considerations when deciding on a deportation order include factors like a person's criminal convictions, character conduct and whether their presence poses a threat to public safety or the common good. In light of this, I want to ask you if you will agree with me that non-nationals who come here and commit barbaric acts of savagery against young women, such as what happened in Tullamore in 2022, should be on the next. Is it not high time that we stopped catering to their so-called rights and instead began to radically and forcefully implement the laws that we have in our own statutes? Deputy, please, Minister to respond. I know what happened to Ashton Murphy in Offaly was shocking. I know how difficult this continues to be for her family and indeed for the wider community. I just want to speak more generally to say that the removal of convicted criminals and those who are in danger to public safety is always a priority for the Minister for Justice. There is a mechanism through the Free Movement Regulations of 2015 on the mechanism that that can occur. There is a particular threshold in Barr which is set for the utilisation of that directive and that's coordinated by Angarde Siakana working with the Irish Prison Service relating to any individual.