Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have limited time, but as this is the first opportunity in these Houses to have a substantive debate about these proposals, I might outline some of my thoughts and those of my party. First, the Irish people recognise the importance of ensuring that people who are fleeing war and conflict receive protection. They also expect that a system is efficient, fair, decent and enforceable and that people can have confidence in it. It is also the case that we are living in quite an uncertain world and the situation at this point in time could not possibly have been anticipated three or four years ago. Similarly, there is no way of knowing what the future will bring. In such a context, I see no reason that the Government should not have sought to be selective. This has been brought forward as several different propositions. There are several legally distinct items. They are part of a package, but legally they require different votes at a European level. The Irish people would have expected the measurement to be made that where international protection is necessary and appropriate, that is the approach and where it is not necessary or is not in Ireland's interests that it would not be followed through on. A concern view we have is that decisions could be taken now that could tie the hands of future Irish Governments and cede power in areas of crucial importance. While we agree on the Eurodac regulation, the database, and on the migration management regulation in respect of returns, the vast majority of the compact cedes power unnecessarily and much of what it purports to seek to achieve, could be achieved through Irish legislation. It is not necessary to tie the hands of future Governments.

Those are my initial views, but I have a number of specific questions. On what date would the regulations take direct effect?