It is fair to say that the EU migration and asylum pact does not take into the account the issues that persist in Ireland, including the fact that we have a shared border and, unfortunately down to British jurisdiction, that means a shared border with a state and entity that is not in the European Union. That was Britain's determination not ours, but, in fairness, it has never done anything that has suited Ireland. We saw the recent near imposition of the Brit-card, an absolute defiance of logic, the peace process and all of the hard work that has been done. Let us be absolutely clear that we are dealing with this common travel area and it greatly pains me that this particular border exists in Ireland. The reason I am standing here today is that, like my colleagues, I am utterly committed to the removal of this particular border, which as we know is very porous, as do the many who have tried to cut off some of the approximately 300 border crossings. It is an impossibility. While accepting that we can do a lot better, having a fully-fledged and proper immigration system in operation in Ireland would need to remove said border and create a united Ireland. The Minister may be in a position to do more in the near future, but we really need to see a move to Irish unity and the preparations that are necessary from this particular Government. We are dealing with legislation that was agreed to by both Houses. I am deeply disappointed that the Minister and the Government did not consider the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice's recommendation that we have a determination. We could have looked at an opt-out for the considerable parts of this pact that do not suit the situation that exists in Ireland at the minute. Unfortunately, these are not the circumstances we are in. Others have spoken about the issues around the civil legal aid system and Tusla. We are talking about systems that are absolutely stretched and under pressure. We really do not see how this is going to be fit for purpose and going to work. The Minister is under pressure timewise because he has to deal with ensuring the 12 June deadline happens. I am not quite sure that all of the ducks are going to be in a row beforehand. The fact is we are talking about the further imposition of fines and infringement proceedings. There has been huge unease about international protection. That is because communities that were not communicated with very well and have lost hotels and other amenities saw an element of chaos. The Government has spoken about how it is going to remedy this. I accept that over the years it did not have the same number of people who are now applying for international protection. I also accept that people, who are here, apply for international protection and fit the criteria in the sense that they are fleeing persecution and war, should be looked after. They should not be languishing for years. Processing should happen fast, but if you do not have a right to be here, you should be gone. The Minister has put many proposals forward. We really need to see that proper and adequate procedures are in place. We have all talked about faster processing. I also want to ask him about the 12-week time limit for the first instance and appeal decisions to be completed for certain categories of applicants because he has also spoken previously of six months for the initial application and six months for appeal. We really need to get to grips with this because it is not fit for purpose.

Sentiment score: 0.06