The Irish broadcaster has condemned Minister Simon Harris for his involvement in the case.
George Hook has asked why Bray politician Simon Harris has expressed interest in preventing the deportation of a 9-year-old boy.
Eric Zhi Ying Xue, a 4th class pupil at St. Cronan's Boys' National School in Bray, is facing deportation to China despite being born in Ireland and never having lived anywhere else.
The nine-year-old's mother Leena Mei Mei Xue is a Chinese citizen, but Eric is not - meaning he will not enjoy the rights of a Chinese citizen if deported there.
Eric's school believes he is facing "imminent" deportation, along with his mother, and are pleading with the Department of Justice to allow him to remain in his home country.
Eric's mother Leena arrived in Ireland 12 years, but a deportation order was served against her in 2015 after her attempts to be granted leave to remain in the country failed.
A final appeal by Ms Xue was rejected in June.
Mr Hook has questioned why Minister for Health, Simon for Harris, who originates from Bray, is "worried about a Chinese boy".
With trolly numbers at world record levels, Minister @SimonHarrisTD is worried -- about a Chinese boy!!
— George Hook (@ghook) October 19, 2018
Hook's tweet sparked a backlash from Twitter users, criticising the radio presenter's views on the 9-year-old's potential future in Ireland.
I'm sure George Hook will trot out the usual "PC gone mad, out to get poor ol' George" defence but he's quite clearly implied that this Irish boy is a person of lesser value because of his Chinese background. It's so dangerous to allow this rhetoric to go unchecked
— Dean Van Nguyen (@deanvannguyen) October 19, 2018
Happy Friday to everyone except George Hook. Fuck that guy
— Steve O'Rourke (@steveohrourke) October 19, 2018
There was a time when George Hook tweeting this would have cause a huge furore. The fact it hasn't today is, I suspect, because he is now such an irrelevance in Irish society.
He is a shithead for saying it of course, but I feel better that he's an irrelevant shithead. pic.twitter.com/Uf7ZKMUqAD— Damian Cullen (@Damian_Cullen) October 19, 2018
