Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have a brief question. Immigration in Europe seems to have become an issue in recent times. That is a nice word for it - there is another description of that issue as well. In the recent European elections, immigration featured. The question that arises then is to what extent has Europe got an immigration policy that is fair and equal across the board and applicable to each member state. For example, should it be that one or two countries must face the bulk of the burden? Should it be that some countries have already indulged in what would appear to be a violation of race relations legislation in their home countries? To what extent can Mr. Crabit intervene in that? If, for example, we were all allowed to make racist or anti-ethnic speeches, which have been shown in various locations throughout the globe in recent years to be the beginning of the breakdown of the rule of law, that would be an initial potential breach or an indication of the breakdown of the rule of law. I need not go into the individual cases as such. When the problem becomes a major issue, it is too late. It has to be identified at an early stage. How do we identify it and deal with it in a way that is fair to all?