Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

On the first question, it will be one piece of legislation. The way that this has been negotiated, and the way that we see it, is that while they are separate measures they are all interlinked. We will be repealing the legislation that is currently there and bringing this forward. There is a very tight timeframe but I believe we need to do it within the timeline presented.

With regard to communication, I, as Minister, and my Department will do everything to communicate the benefits of this and the details of it. There is a huge amount of misinformation out there and, as public representatives, there is a duty on all of us to make sure that those who wish to intentionally put out mistruths about this and what it means are responded to. As a Government, collectively we are working to ensure that there is clear communication on migration as a whole.

Migration is positive for this country. Migrants contribute to this country significantly. In fact, so much of our public services would not function without them. We therefore need to make sure, when talking about migration as a whole, that the legal pathways to be here, those seeking protection and what is happening around accommodation are effectively communicated. That is a priority for the Government.