Mr. Gary Daly:

I thank the committee for this opportunity. We are all grateful and while I am not speaking on behalf of anybody, I am very happy that we had this opportunity to make this presentation. I thank the Chair in particular for facilitating the meeting in such a fair way. It is really important that these conversations are happening. This is why Le Chéile was started and why the "for all" grouping was started. The Far Right Observatory does superb work also. I have worked with a number of people around this table for years on anti-racism initiatives, housing initiatives and lots of other initiatives. We will continue to do that and I have every confidence in that regard.

It is very important that the people affected by this are given an opportunity to address directly the people in this room, especially the Government and other politicians, through the Chair or whatever way that would work, and that refugees, asylum seekers and migrants generally are given an opportunity to relay their human stories. For me, the most effective thing and most effective way of changing the narrative is for people to understand that these are human beings. They are ordinary human beings who have had to leave their homes, for whatever reason. As I mentioned, that does not have to be due to war. They are people just like you and me. They have had to bring their kids with them on a dangerous journey. They are here looking for our protection, as Irish people have done for generations. We should all remember that.