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Updated at 3.45pm
(Second Row, left to right) John Bruton, Sally Mulready, Michael Farrell, Catherine McGuinness, Ronan C Keane, John Murray, Deirdre Heenan, Bertie Ahern, Ruairí McKiernan, Gerard Quinn, Brian Cowen. (First row, left to right) Paddy Burke, Sean Barrett, Joan Burton, Enda Kenny, President Michael D Higgins, Susan Denham, Peter Kelly, Maire Whelan, Mary McAleese
PRESIDENT MICHAEL D Higgins held a Council of State meeting this morning over asylum legislation that was ‘rushed’ through the Dáil before Christmas.
A Council of State meeting allows the president to refer legislation to the Supreme Court for scrutiny, following a meeting with a number of officials including the Taoiseach, the President of the High Court, and the Attorney General, along with anyone who has previously held the position of President, Taoiseach or Chief Justice, and several appointed members.
It is only the second time Higgins has invoked Article 26 of the Constitution since taking office.
Concerns were raised over the International Protection Bill, designed to reduce the length of time asylum applicants spend in the protection process, including direct provision, by establishing a single applications procedure.
Under the new law, there would be a single application procedure for protection which would include applications for refugee status, subsidiary protection and leave to remain.
The meeting concluded this afternoon and Higgins said he will make a decision on whether to refer the Bill to the Supreme Court in the next 24 hours.
He also thanked the members of the council for their time.
Labour backbencher Michael McNamara was kicked out of the Dáil over his objections to the guillotining of the Bill, and said it restricts the ability of people fleeing persecution to be joined by family members.
In a statement last week, Sinn Féin said the Bill fails to protect children and minors travelling alone and opens the door for fast-track deportations, with Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh describing it as “baffling” that so many recommendations of the government’s own working group were ignored. He added:
We were also alarmed that the democratic procedures required for effective scrutiny of legislation were ignored in the speed with which this bill was rushed through the Houses of the Oireachtas.
It was also jointly opposed by the Irish Refugee Council, the Irish Immigrant Support centre (Nasc), and refugee support group Doras Luimní.
Sue Conlan, CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, said: “A single procedure will not cure the problems in the Irish asylum system unless there are proper safeguards in place which protect asylum seekers from cursory examination of their applications and a swift move towards deportation.”
The outcome of passage of the Bill, as it stands, will lead to people being at risk of being returned to persecution or serious harm and refugees separated from family members.
“This will be at the time of the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War.”
In a statement, the Áras said the particular sections of concern in the legislation are:
Originally published 8.08am. Additional reporting by Hugh O’Connell
Did I just read this..jasyus I did…I did need to get out more..but nobody has ever explained to me why Broccoli goes cold as soon as you cook it..I’ve never had hot Broccoli yet..
@sparky: Broccoli has a very high surface area per unit weight compared to other veg. This high surface area allows for higher rates of heat transfer to occur between the broccoli and the air. The stems of the broccoli are also a lot less dense than other vegetables too so heat transfer occurs more rapidly for that reason as well.
@sparky: always preheat your plate.
Another valuable scientific endeavour….
Thank God for religion, that’s all I can say.
Stephen Hawking must be glad he is still alive to read this. Good to know scientists have their prioritys right. Serious illnesses & research is not important if shoelaces become undone according to these scientists. This is an insult to scientists everywhere.
@Abcd: If you’d bother to actually read the article you’d see that it does have a serious side in preventing injury.
@Jack Cassady: Guess what Jack… turns out God didn’t do this either…
@Paddy Ryan: My shoelaces have not undone since i was about 6. We where taught too secure all footwear & loose clothing especially near any machinery.
@Abcd: move on to ‘é’ and the rest of the alphabet as soon as you can. Then complete your education, concentrating on logic, but not forgetting reading and comprehension. Then read this article once more. If you do not understand it differently the second time around, you are probably ineducable.
Jasus, this article had me in knots.
Double knot always works for me. Takes2 seconds longer to untie but worth it for one pair of athletic shoes with laces that untie within 10 minutes of tying the knot.
Bunny ears, bunny ears, playing by a tree. Criss-crossed the tree, trying to catch me. Bunny ears, Bunny ears, jumped into the hole, popped out the other side beautiful and bold.”
@Colleen McGovern: what you rabbitin’ on about, Willis?
“…unable to lift his foot off the gas…”
Enough of the Yankisms
Hahaha, yet you use an Americanism in your appeal to eschew a ‘Yankism’!
Enough with the Little Englander mentality. The world uses American English and in Ireland we use, increasingly, American spelling. You can color it whatever way you wish, but the English used in Ireland and in our neighboring island is moving toward the American standard.
Seriously
My guess is it’ll be a combination of vibration from the foot/shoe in normal thread action and the laces swinging. The result of both actions causing the knot to work itself loose.
@Paul Downes: My guess is its explained in the article.
Good on you journal. That’s a fine piece of copy and pasting from a piece of news that was reported on around the globe last week.
So, am I right in thinking a bunch of scientists have basically determined through scientific research that lases come undone because we/i don’t make a proper knot?? Out with lases in with velcro. I think we need a tribunal!
Ah lads, this was solved a long time ago. It’s to do with the direction in which you tie the knot. 3 min video on Ted Talks explains it.
Terry Moore: How to tie your shoes
http://go.ted.com/NQ2rKQ
I kid you knot!!!
Who the hell finds this kind of research ? The scouts ?
#Funds#
Jesus these lads are busy
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