Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Attorney General's advice is never published. In voting for the Lisbon treaty, we did so in the full knowledge that migration is an EU competence and that we can choose to opt into measures. We cannot opt out but we choose to opt in to these measures. There is nothing being forced upon us, so there is no need for a referendum.

With the figures we have for the distribution, if we were to apply this in the first year, with figures of either 648 people or €12,000,960, it would actually be cheaper for us to pay that sum than the current cost to us of processing and housing somebody for a year. That is if we take that particular timeline. When somebody comes here, processing and accommodation are a significant cost. We are talking here about a system that would mean people are here for less time. Therefore, the cost of processing and accommodating them would be much less. It should mean an overall decrease in the amount of money we spend on immigration.

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