Some people will have seen that earlier this week I asked Tánaiste Simon Harris about the case of Randi Gladstone – Guyanese man with 19 previous convictions in the UK for offences including rape and kidnapping, who was allowed into Ireland, only to rape and falsely imprison an 18-year-old girl within days of arriving in this country. I asked Harris how this individual was allowed into the country, given that we’re always hearing about how individuals are “vetted” before coming here. Did we not know this guy had serious convictions, or did we know and let him in anyway? How did he get here? What is actually going on?
When I asked him, Harris said he “wasn’t across the details” of the case, and as such couldn’t explain how such a person would be allowed into the country – I didn’t get any clarity or answers, because he wasn’t even aware it was happening, let alone have an explanation as to why it occurred.
This is obviously quite a revealing response in and of itself, but I won’t be letting it rest there – I intend to ask him the same question again at the earliest available opportunity and getting a definitive answer. I think this case really demands further explanation – just shrugging and saying “idk tbh” isn’t really satisfactory so far as I’m concerned.