Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Ar an gcéad dul síos, gabhaim buíochas le Brian Ó Domhnaill and Triona in my office and my colleagues for putting down this motion. On behalf of the Rural Independent Group, I make no apologies to anyone for putting this motion forward. The Minister mentioned that a number of debates have been held. I think three of them were forced by us, after months of begging. We have used our Private Members' time for debates; Government time has not been used. On my behalf and that of the Rural Independent Group, I want to totally condemn any threats or intimidation of any politician, including the Minister, or interference in anybody's house, property or anything like that. We hold no truck with that.

As I said, the Government amendment is something I have simple points about. It refers to ceding sovereignty to the EU by opting in to the pact and says this does not arise. However, it fails to provide a detailed explanation as to why this is the case, leaving many unconvinced. There is no clarification regarding the advice from the Attorney General. On the volume of migration, the amendment does not address concerns about the potential increase in the number of migrants coming to Ireland and suggests that not opting in to the pact could make Ireland a more attractive destination for individuals. That is just nonsense. The amendment also does not provide a clear breakdown of the costs associated with, or address the potential long-term consequences of, opting in to the pact. The amendment totally disregards the potential costs and future consequences. The text could be seen as dismissive of concerns about the potential costs. I hope people will read and understand the amendment and vote accordingly.

This debate comes at a critical juncture, as the Government's gross incompetence in addressing immigration has become an international embarrassment, making headlines worldwide. We have initiated this debate because the Government has, thus far, prevented it from taking place in the Dáil, referring it instead to the obscurity of committee hearings where, as the Minister knows, the Government has a contrived majority.

The tendency of the Government to blame others and gaslight the public who have genuine concerns is evident. Over the past week, the Government has once again demonstrated a glaring lack of competence by attempting to blame the UK Government for the consequences of its Rwanda policy, leading to disillusionment among the Irish people, who feel their concerns are not being listened to.

Ireland stands at a critical juncture, with a staggering 28,875 international protection applicants housed in 202 centres as of 17 April 2024. This is happening as the nation grapples with an exacerbated housing shortage and overstretched public services, leading to untenable conditions such as migrants living in tents. The State tried to remove those tents this morning. We make no apology for raising these issues. We have not said we did not have a housing crisis or other problems before the migration issue. Of course we had, but it is the ineptitude that is the issue. Fine Gael has been in government for 11 years and has had all that time to deal with the housing crisis and many other problems, including health and education. That is what is causing the problem.

The financial burden of the International Protection Accommodation Services, separate from Ukrainian refugees, has soared from over €100 million in 2021 to an alarming €653 million in 2023 and is predicted to rise to a colossal €1 billion by 2025. This is untenable. I do not see how the Minister can continue with this, refuse to have debates and gaslight anybody who says anything else.

The Government's withholding of the Attorney General's opinion and interdepartmental advice on the adverse effects of the "Yes" vote in the 8 March referendums casts doubt on its willingness to be transparent about the ramifications and financial implications of opting in to the European pact. That is stark and simple. The Government would not release the information and again gaslighted anybody who questioned it, and it got its answer but níl an tAire ná an Taoiseach ag éisteacht. No one in the Government is listening to the people's concerns. As Teachta Dálaí, we are privileged to be elected to this House and to do our duty under the Constitution to bring the concerns, worries and issues of the day to the floor of the Dáil.

The Minister criticised me for leaving a minute ago. I thought there was permission to get a toilet break if in the House all morning. The Minister was not here to listen to our debate. She was not here for the contributions of any of my five colleagues. A practice that has crept in here involves Ministers not listening to people they do not want to listen to and showing disdain for raising issues we are supposed to raise in the House. It is our solemn duty to raise them – it will be mine while I continue – in fairness and recognising and understanding the complexity of the issues and other points of view.

The Labour Party was founded in Clonmel, my home town, over 100 years ago by great, noble men like James Larkin. I will not even mention the name of the Teachta Dála who lectured us about our faith or beliefs. He was the only Deputy here so there is no need. Our beliefs are our entitlement. Are we going to be in a communist state in which we cannot practise whatever faith we wish? We had a very wonderful function last night, compliments of the Ceann Comhairle and Peter Finnegan, and it involved people of all faiths and none from all over the country and the rest of the world. There was very interesting dialogue. We need more of that, not the gaslighting of people like members of the Rural Independent Group and others who challenge issues and ask questions. Speakers from across the House have supported us today because they know now what is happening is impacting them and that communities are being misled.

In north Tipperary, a centre supported by the community was set up to bring in Ukrainians but now there is a double-edged sword in that Ukrainians are not coming at all; rather, it is IPAS people. The Government must not do that to the public. It will not and should not get away with it. It is not fair, right or reasonable. European colleagues of members of parties like the Labour Party and the Social Democrats have voted every bit of the pact through over the past eight years and have supported it, and then the parties come in criticising certain aspects, for different reasons than ours. They cannot have their cake and eat it. It is because there is a European election very soon. The pressure is on. When I knock on doors, I note that the people have issues. I am sure the Government members knock on the same doors, unless they are totally different. The people have issues concerning health, housing and immigration, in addition to roads and public transport. There are many issues and the Government has to listen to them as well. It is our duty to do so, so we will not be lectured by any parties on what we can say here. There is oppression here that is unhealthy for democracy.

I raised yesterday the issues in Newtownmountkennedy. I have supported An Garda Síochána 100% all my life, and I support the work of community gardaí. Damage was done through heavy-handed tactics at Newtownmountkennedy, where ordinary people were trying to get answers and protect themselves.

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