Ms Áine Ní Chonaill:

We gave clear evidence in this regard in our submission and opening statement. I understand where Migrant Rights Centre Ireland is coming from in one sense, but its comments regarding tax seem to me to be a red herring. By its own admission, almost all of these people - 87% - are working here and half already pay tax. I assume many of them, as the MRCI witnesses admitted, are in minimum wage jobs. I am not too sure whether such workers are even in the tax net. Indeed, I understand some 30% of workers in this country do not pay any tax at all. Many of these migrants, as admitted by MRCI, have PPS numbers. Unfortunately, there is no difficulty, as there certainly should be, for an illegal in Ireland in obtaining a PPS number. I checked how one goes about getting a PPS number and it turns out one needs nothing but a valid passport and a utility bill. One does not have to prove legal residency. MRCI's point about an increased tax take is very strange because, by its own admission, many illegal migrants are already paying tax.