Aspects of the subject matter of the question are still before the courts and the Deputy will appreciate that I am constrained by what I say in answer to her. I can, however, confirm that the Algerian national who was lawfully refused leave to land in the State on 27 October last has since been granted a visa to travel to the State.
On his arrival at Dublin Airport on a private aircraft which had departed from France, the person in question was brought by the company which handles private aviation facilities to the Garda Immigration Office at the airport. He produced an Algerian passport and was questioned by the immigration officers after they had established that he was not in possession of a visa to enable him to travel to the State. His passport did not contain visas for any countries notwithstanding the fact that he would also have been required to have a visa to enable him to enter France. He also admitted working in this country without a valid work permit.
In accordance with law, he was refused leave to land in the State and was placed in detention pending the making of arrangements for his removal to Algeria. On 29 October he was removed from the State at 10.30 a.m. approximately on an Aer Lingus flight to London to connect with a 1.30 flight from there to Algeria. He was accompanied by two Garda Immigration Officers on the Dublin-London leg of his return journey to Algeria.