Woman put on drip during deportation flight

A WOMAN deported from Ireland last week, along with 34 other people, needed medical intervention during the flight, it has emerged.

The woman was placed on a drip after the chartered plane left Dublin Airport just before midnight on Monday, March 14.

A garda spokesman yesterday confirmed the intervention had been required.

However, he stressed that, in line with standard procedure, all of the deportees had been medically assessed and deemed fit to fly before being put on the plane.

A doctor and nurse travelled with the deportees on the flight, in line with procedure. They administered the drip to the woman while en route, the garda spokesman said.

Another of the deportees claimed that, prior to take-off at Dublin Airport, the woman was held down by garda immigration officers and sedated by a doctor.

The garda spokesman yesterday refused to say if this had occurred, but believed it “unlikely”.

However, he stressed that immigration officers were permitted to use “reasonable force” to fulfil their duties in instances where deportees were reluctant to board flights.

Although confirming that the drip had been administered to the woman during the flight, he said questions about the precise nature of the medical intervention - or the woman’s condition - were a matter for the Department of Justice, because the medical teams worked under its aegis.

The department, however, refused to discuss the issue. “We never comment on individual cases,” a spokeswoman said.

The 35 people - including nine children - were flown to Lagos aboard the chartered flight after being arrested by gardaí acting on deportation orders signed by Justice Minister Michael McDowell.

One of the deportees, 19-year-old Elunkanlo Olunkunle, had been scheduled to sit his Leaving Certificate at Palmerstown Community School, Dublin, in June.

Mr Olunkunle has claimed he was not allowed to speak to his lawyer before being deported.

He has described how he was put on board the flight with no possessions and wearing his school uniform - his only clothes.

He has appealed to be allowed return to Ireland.

Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins described his deportation as “monstrous”.

About 50 of Mr Olunkunle’s classmates at Palmerstown are expected to join a protest being held outside the Dáil tomorrow by the Residents Against Racism (RAR) group.

Similar protests were held last week.

“We want all deportations stopped,” RAR spokeswoman Rosanna Flynn said yesterday.

The protest will get under way at 12.30pm.