Along with the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, I will start by addressing the terrible arson attack that took place in Drogheda over the weekend. Our thoughts are with the families impacted by this. It was an attack on an IPAS centre but it was actually an attack on their home. It is truly awful to see something like that happen to someone's home. My thoughts are also with the victim of the alleged sexual assault in Saggart recently. I also want to commend An Garda Síochána members who so bravely defended the peace in Citywest when faced with such abhorrent behaviour. We put our trust in the justice process to deliver due process over the coming months. As we start this debate, we have seen the discourse on migration that has become increasingly fraught across the world. Here in Ireland, we are not immune to the impact of this polarised debate. The incidents in Drogheda and Citywest show the extent to which this is impacting communities. We have seen anti-immigrant protests on our streets. We have seen attacks on international protection accommodation. We have seen attacks on international protection accommodation where people knew that women and children were staying. We have seen the dire consequences of the anti-migrant rhetoric in and the shocking racist attacks on our minority communities. The Government is determined to combat such racist crime and protect vulnerable communities. The vast majority of Irish people are, I believe, positive towards migration because we know the value of migration to Ireland. Migration benefits our economy, our public services, our infrastructure and has made Ireland a pluralist and more open society. The Government is operating under a clear and co-ordinated strategy to manage immigration in what I want to see, as does the Minister, as a firm, fair and effective way, in a rules-based system. The programme for Government provides a commitment to developing a new migration and integration strategy for Ireland detailing how we intend to meet the demands and the opportunities facing our society and economy over the next decade. This strategy is being led by my Department with support from across Government and we plan to publish it in 2026. It is important to point out that this is the first time such a strategy has been undertaken and we are determined that our approach to migration is rules based, planned and coherent. The Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, has gone through in some detail the significant reforms ongoing in the international protection process. This is being done through ongoing legislative reforms, investment in our processing capacity, and particularly with our enhanced co-operation with our EU partners. We are addressing our international obligations and the legitimate concerns of communities across the country. The programme for Government also contains strong commitments on consultation with communities about local services and integration, and to improved communications on migration and integration. Yes, we do accept that we need to improve this. There have been failings in the past and we need to see more improvement in this area. The community engagement team in my Department has a role to share information, to engage, to listen and to help communities prepare for new arrivals. They are doing an excellent job. It is important in these engagements to balance our discussions between recognising the need for urgent shelter for people who are in very vulnerable situations and who are legally entitled to it, and to also recognise the needs and sincerely-held concerns of communities. By necessity, the work of the community engagement team has to date focused on the opening of new accommodation centres. Some of these engagements have been a simple sharing of relevant information through the relevant channels while in some centres it has involved far more detailed meetings with local community groups, local officials, local public representatives, national representatives and other key stakeholders. This work has involved the provision of briefing notes, the organisation of information sessions and responding to queries from both community organisations and public representatives. It has also involved strategic engagement with key Departments and agencies, local government and civil society organisations. It is vitally important that this work continues and that the community engagement team continues to strengthen engagement at local community level. Our overall strategic approach is intended to reduce the scale of the demand for accommodation. We want to see the proportion of accommodation provided on State-owned sites increase, with the objective of developing an accommodation system with a reduced reliance on commercial provision. I believe, as does the Minister, that it is particularly important that we move to that process of, by and large, having State-owned facilities so we can provide the best value for money and services: services to the people in those centres and services to the communities that surround them and the best value for money for Irish taxpayers. I also want to introduce a contribution model for people in international protection accommodation. In this regard, a proposal was considered by the Cabinet subcommittee on migration this week, which came from the Minister and me. The programme for Government included a commitment to introduce such a system. It is expected that the proposals will now be developed and timelines for implementation will be finalised and brought to Government in the coming weeks. While I appreciate that this has been a proposal that was there previously, the Minister and I have worked tirelessly on this over the past weeks to ensure we can bring this proposal to Government in the next few weeks. Not all applicants in centres are working but many are. I believe it makes sense that people who are working and paying income tax would make a contribution towards the cost of their accommodation. It is only fair. The system I want is a system based on fairness. If a person is working in a factory, in a shop or in a tech company, and they are working alongside somebody who is paying for their rent at the end of the month, then there is no reason that person, if he or she has an income, should not be making a contribution to their own accommodation. I want to move on now to the area of removals. Part of an effective immigration system needs to be an effective returns system. We are working at national level and with EU partners on this. The proposal for a new returns regulation, as presented at European Union level, would establish a common European system for returns with the aim of a swifter, simpler and more effective returns procedure across the EU, while fully respecting fundamental rights. This proposed new legal framework is a complementary measure to the EU Migration and Asylum Pact. It is the Government’s preference that Ireland is part of the new returns measure. Officials in my Department are continuing to engage with European colleagues to determine the most appropriate means for Ireland’s participation. Any decision to participate would be made following the approval of the Oireachtas. My Department firmly believes that it is in the mutual interest of all member states and Schengen-associated countries to ensure as broad a level of participation as possible to reduce fragmentation to ensure coherence and support operational effectiveness across the Union. As Ireland continues to show its active engagement and involvement in the European Union, I believe that a lack of participation in this proposal could potentially undermine the efforts to bring about effective harmonisation and coherence in the returns domain. Participation in the returns measure would ensure that Ireland can benefit from enhanced co-operation and information sharing with other member states. I must emphasise that my Department is not waiting for the European Union to return people who should not be in the State. As the Minister has indicated, returns this year are the highest they have been for 20 years. We have had six charter removal flights so far this year, coupled with a large increase in those being removed on commercial flights. Just this week, 52 people were removed on a charter back to Georgia. There has also been a large increase in EU citizens removed under the free movement regulations. These orders can be made on the grounds that an individual’s personal conduct represents a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat affecting one of the fundamental interests of society. The number of removal orders under the freedom of movement directive has increased from 24 in 2024 to 99 so far this year. On Monday, 13 October removal orders were enforced against 23 Romanian citizens who were removed from Ireland by charter flight. A very high bar must be met for a person to be removed under this directive but it is a priority for the Minister and me to ensure that those who meet the threshold are removed from the State accordingly. Our immigration system is not just about faster processing and a more effective system. We are concerned that when people are granted permission to remain in Ireland, we are ensuring that these people are integrated into Irish society. If one is going to have an effective removal system, one also needs to have an effective system for integration when someone is allowed to remain. My Department administers a series of funds to support anti-racism and integration initiatives around the country. I will be announcing the outcome of a funding call for the integration funding next week. My officials are currently finalising the outcomes of that process. The Ireland against racism fund, which is a key part of the national action plan against racism, enables non-government and community organisations to provide projects and local initiatives that combat racism. The EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, AMIF, aims to support international protection applicants, programme refugees, beneficiaries of temporary protection and other third country nationals in Ireland. Ireland's total budget allocation for the AMIF 2021-2027 national programme is €63.5 million. The integration and employment of migrants grant scheme is part of the European Social Fund Plus. The total funding under the scheme is €5.5 million, made available over a seven-year period. In 2022, seven projects were approved for total funding of €2.7 million for a three-year period. I announced a second call for funding under this programme in July this year. Ireland has shown its commitment to a common EU-wide solution to migration by opting in to most elements of the EU migration and asylum pact. The pact is a landmark in our collective effort to manage migration with fairness, compassion, effectiveness and order. It recognises the need for solidarity and shared responsibility across all member states. It emphasises border protection while upholding international law. Crucially, it allows us to distinguish between those in genuine need of protection and those who do not qualify, thereby enabling swifter and more just outcomes. It is really important to recognise that it does not just benefit the country in question; it benefits people going through the process when decisions can be made for them in a fast and effective way. Our commitment to the pact, alongside other member states, shows we stand together in recognising that no country should be left to face these pressures alone. Whether by welcoming refugees, supporting returns or contributing to border management, every state has a role to play and Ireland is no different. The pact also promotes deeper co-operation with countries of origin and transit. We must work upstream by addressing the drivers of migration, tackling trafficking networks and supporting development. We need global solutions for what are global issues. Much of the public focus on the pact has been on those aspects related to reception conditions and assessment procedures for people arriving seeking international protection. However, an important aspect of a well-managed and effective migration and asylum policy is having the successful integration and inclusion policy about which I have been talking. That is why we are committed to continuing to provide practical ways to support local communities involved in integration efforts right across Ireland. Along with the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, I consider it very important, particularly in light of what the country has faced in the past week, that we, as an Oireachtas, can have a balanced conversation that respects all the key requirements of the debate. There must be an understanding that there are very vulnerable people who apply for international protection - they are here in our country and we need to understand, look after and respect the process they are going through - and there are also communities that have very genuine concerns. People in those communities must be engaged with and have an opportunity to have their voice heard. They need to see real leadership in this area from us, as public representatives, as Members of this House and as the Government. People who are able and willing to stand up and comment must be allowed to speak and to have their voice heard but we must not pander to the extremes. We must never allow the extremes to win. We must respect what everyone is saying, listen to it fully and work together. For the sake of our country and its long-term future, which will be as a fully integrated modern Ireland with lots of different types of people in it, we must be able to have these discussions and deliver real results out of them.

Sentiment score: 0.25

The Deputy should listen to what the Tánaiste said afterwards, which is never quoted.

Sentiment score: 0.00

It was a very interesting debate and I acknowledge the range of views expressed across the House. When I was making notes for my closing remarks, I wrote that I would like to thank all of the Deputies who contributed to this important discussion. I said at the start that I hoped we would have a discussion that was balanced, fair and done in the right way. Most of the contributions were. We need to call a spade a spade. Some of the contributions veered towards an area which I find very worrying. They were contributions that were not fair, not necessarily in criticising the Government, but in terms of using tropes and language that should have no place in this type of debate. We have to acknowledge that debates on migration can be difficult. They will always provoke strong emotions. There are differing perspectives here. For the most part, we have seen how we can engage and talk about this issue. Respectful debate is the cornerstone of democracy, but I have to call out things when I think they are crazy or are tropes that are just thrown out. We had a Sinn Féin Deputy talk about deportations and border checks in his contribution. It would nearly make me laugh if it were not so serious - to have people in Sinn Féin wanting checks for people going across the Border. They should get real because the biggest border on our island is between North and South. Are they suggesting that we close the Border? There is talking out of both sides of your mouth, but that brings a new level of farce. I have to say I was disappointed with the contribution from the former Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. At a certain point, he went out of his way to list all of the things he was not responsible for. Unfortunately, one of the main things he was responsible for during that period in government was the IPAS accommodation system. We are sorting out the problems that came about during that period of time. Some of that was not his fault. Some of it was because of the huge influx that took place. I am willing to acknowledge that he was dealing with a very difficult situation, but we have to have reasonableness and respectfulness about it. We had contributions from Deputies, and in particular from the Social Democrats, none of whom are still here, in which they ranged their fire down on the Tánaiste from the high moral ground. If you want to be morally superior to others, you have an extra duty of care to make sure your contributions are careful and inclusive of everything. One line has constantly been taken out of remarks made by the Tánaiste. I am going to take a moment to read the bit that these Deputies seem so incapable of following it with. The Tánaiste stated: Let's be honest with people. We are developing a new migration policy here. We are developing a migration system and somewhat doing it in real time. I am very clear that immigration is a good thing. I am very clear that our country benefits from immigration. I am also very clear that immigration or migration into our country [is] lawful. I am very clear... At that point the Tánaiste gets interrupted. He came back to say that he thought this was the challenge with migration. When politicians get asked a question, they do not have an opportunity to answer. He added that what he was trying to say was that migration was a good thing. He said that we needed to get a system where people have a right to stay here and are told that quickly and can get on with their lives and contribute positively to our country and to integrate. He went on to say that he was speaking honestly to the people of Ireland and we were not where we need to be. He said that we had a system that needs change. When people do not have a right to be here and have exhausted their right to be here, they should be deported quickly. If they cannot be deported for some logistical reason, they should at that moment be detained. He also said that we had to be honest with people because what people are seeing right across the country is that the numbers are simply too high and he wanted to acknowledge that. That is the totality of what the Tánaiste said and it is the totality of what the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and I keep on trying to say. We need to be honest and inclusive in total about what we are saying about migration. Most people in this country who were not born in Ireland and who we see every day are here because we have asked them here. They are here because they are providing essential services, keeping the health service going, building the houses that we need and working in hi-tech businesses. We have gone out and looked for them to contribute and build our society. They are paying the taxes that contribute to providing the social services that we need to provide, including pensions. We have an issue with international protection and it is what this debate was about. We need to be honest and truthful about that as well. Our international protection numbers were too high. They went from the low to the high thousands. That was unsustainable. I agree with the Deputies who talked about the billion euro bill for running international protection services. That is not sustainable, but if you want to make that point, then make the other point too, namely, that the migration pact, the International Protection Bill 2025 which we are bringing through the Houses, will take the processing time down to 12 weeks, including the appeal. That is what will really take the cost out of providing international protection services. It gives a firm, fast and fairer system, which is better for the people who are going through it and also for this State. While criticising the Government, one Deputy said that we should introduce a system that would take six months. We are introducing a system that will take 12 weeks. That is coming in next June. It is important that people make sure they are aware of the facts. As a Government, we want to see things change. The Minister and I are bringing this change through this Chamber and the Seanad, so we will have a new, better system. We want to see a system that is fair to everybody. We also want to recognise that Ireland has changed and that it is not going back to some version of non-reality that certain Deputies seem to think will happen. Many of the people here are not international protection applicants but the people who are building the modern Ireland. They are the people playing in our GAA clubs, on the soccer pitches and with our kids in the school playground. Their parents are working flat out to build and supply the services we all need. That is the new Ireland. We need to be proud of that. When I left school in 1984, if you were lucky, you got into college for a few years. Even if you did, you still most likely left. We were the migrants. We went outward. The important thing is a good lot of us came back, and we should be proud of that fact. We now have people coming here because we have a country - and I acknowledge there are still problems - that in so many ways is successful, prosperous and has grown. We need those people. We should always remember that. As the political leaders in our country, we need to be willing to stand up and say that. At the same time, I will always respect people's right to say there are problems with the system or that the Government has got it wrong on a certain point. That is absolutely the case because you can never get anything 100% right. If the centre is willing to work together to do the reforms that are necessary to have a better system, what we will have is not just a firm, fair and effective system for dealing with international protection, but, through the people who have come in here and are living and contributing in our country, we will have a better Ireland. With that, I thank all of the Deputies for their contributions.

Sentiment score: 0.13