Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming in and for their presentations. I also heard them earlier on "Morning Ireland". It is a significant issue and we have all seen the horrendous pictures and newsreels of what has happened with migration over the years in the Mediterranean. However, there are major challenges coming in Europe. There is a new Government in Italy against migration. Recently in Germany, the issue nearly brought down Angela Merkel and Britain is leaving the EU. There is going to be a significant clampdown in Europe on taking in immigrants. With the population of Africa to double in the next 20 years, this is going to get worse. It will come to a stage where Europe will say it can take no more. What do we do?

This committee has been in Africa and has met the most beautiful people one could ever meet. The traffickers charge an exorbitant fee to bring people across the Mediterranean. When we go to Malawi and Mozambique, we see how much can be done for a family with the €6 in the cash transfer scheme. Where do these migrants get the money to pay these exorbitant costs to the traffickers? These are people not just from Libya but from all over Africa. Can the EU do more within Africa to keep people there? Something will have to be done because there will be a clampdown. Unless we dealing with the problem at source, there will be larger issues in a few years from now.

I acknowledge the tremendous work MSF does.