Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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I am not saying that security checks should not take place. The people we met in Calais and Dunkirk ran away from militant organisations so I have no worries about them coming here. Most of the people who travelled to Calais did so with the hope of getting to the UK. Many of those we met did not have connections in England. They simply liked the idea of settling in an English-speaking country and had never heard of Ireland. When we spoke to them about Ireland, many of them became interested in coming here. Some of them remained interested in the UK but some of them were very interested in travelling to Ireland.

The Minister of State has said that various Departments would incur serious costs in order to regularise the undocumented. We have no doubt that looking after people that are most in need of our help will always cost something. There is a huge onus on us to do the right thing. We find money to do certain things and we make choices about the money available to us.

I always insist that the primary objective of a government should be to take best care of those who most need its help, and the undocumented in Ireland could do with our help, even if it does cost us a few bob.