Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for being here. It is very disappointing, however, that a senior Minister is not present to discuss this issue. I mean no disrespect to the Minister of State, but surely an issue as important as this deserves having a senior Minister before us. When it comes to this issue of an asylum pact, it is a deal done by a dirty Government and it will not be forgotten by the people. Ireland is at a critical point, with a huge number - 28,875 - of international protection applicants living in 282 centres as of 17 April 2024. The country is struggling with a severe lack of housing and overstretched public services, leading to unacceptable circumstances such as migrants living in tents on the streets. There is not enough housing for citizens and there are not enough places for tourists to stay. The cost of IPAS, not including the cost of Ukrainian refugees, jumped from €191 million in 2021 to a shocking €653 million in 2023. It is expected to put a massive €1 billion burden on Irish taxpayers in 2024 because of the Government's unwavering commitment to a policy of welcoming all asylum seekers without asking taxpayers, which raises big democratic and financial worries.

The Government is not sharing the Attorney General's opinion and the Department's advice on the negative effects of a "Yes" vote in the referendums held on 8 March. This makes people doubt if the Government is being open about the consequences and costs of joining the EU migration and asylum pact. Ireland, like Denmark, has a special legal right to opt out of some parts of the pact. There is no good reason for Ireland to join the EU migration and asylum pact, which would force the country to accept more asylum seekers on top of the many international protection applicants already coming in, especially when there is no legal requirement to do so. The pact would let the EU make immigration decisions for Ireland. If it is ratified, it would be the biggest transfer of Irish constitutional powers from Ireland to Brussels in the country's history. Joining this extreme pact would mean giving up any right to block future changes, including possible increases in migrant relocation quotas decided by majority vote.

Ireland has a special legal right to opt out at the EU migration and asylum pact under Protocol 21 of the Treaty of Lisbon. This gives an opt-in or opt-out choice on individual proposals in the areas of freedom, security and justice. However, Irish voters have not been asked if they want to transfer national power on immigration matters to the EU. The asylum and migration management regulation, AMMR, a main part of the pact, threatens to override Ireland's power as outlined in the Constitution by giving the European Commission the power to decide the number of relocated asylum seekers and the financial contributions Ireland must take from taxpayers.

The AMMR requires at least 30,000 asylum seekers to be distributed across the bloc each year, with member states forced to pay €20,000 for each rejected migrant. The EU has the power to increase these figures. The formula for distributing relocated asylum seekers application under Article 44k of the AMMR means that Ireland would have to accept more relocated asylum seekers than most of the EU member states because of its high gross domestic product, GDP, rate, which can be attributed to the multinational sector.

If Ireland does not comply with these quotas, it could face legal actions. The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, refuses to accept any relocated asylum seekers under the pact. This pact takes away national power, with the decisions made by unelected EU officials, not Irish authorities. The Government's claim that the pact's new rules will improve migrant checks and speed up the return of unapproved asylum seekers is misleading. These tasks can be done immediately without joining the pact. The Minister, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman, plans to accept between 15,000 and 20,000 asylum and international protection seekers every year. This plan is unsustainable and the position could get worse if the pact is ratified. The Government does not have public support for this decision, which was not mentioned in any of the Government parties' 2020 election manifestoes. The Government needs to realise that the signing of the EU migration and asylum pact is irresponsible and a big infringement of constitutional sovereignty and democratic principles. It should not use its majority in the Houses of the Oireachtas to approve the pact against Ireland's best interests.

Handling of the immigration issue has become an international embarrassment, with Dublin and Cork turned into tent cities as people wait for unavailable accommodation. This crisis is hurting community spirit, especially in small rural villages. The responsible Ministers, the Ministers for Justice, Deputy Helen McEntee, and Minister for children, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman, must admit to their loss of control and make way for real action and strict border controls. Staff must be hired to prioritise processing and fast-tracking for those who are already here. Let us support genuine asylum seekers and deport those who do not qualify, while ignoring State-funded NGOs.

Dublin city has become a tent city for thousands of people waiting for housing due to the international immigration crisis. This shows the Government's failure to manage immigration. Its silence has made a humanitarian crisis worse and left our communities feeling helpless. This lack of leadership has created uncertainty, affecting our communities' safety and sense of belonging. If the Government does not address this crisis, the country could face social and economic instability. The Government is unfairly blaming Britain while ignoring the influx of asylum seekers from other EU countries. It needs to take a comprehensive approach to the asylum seeker crisis, no matter where people are coming from. The Government's refusal to admit its poor handling of the immigration crisis has disrupted small communities, businesses and tourism.

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