Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Before I let Deputy Devlin in I want to agree with what Senators Murphy and Craughwell have said. These people are fleeing horrendous circumstances in their countries and people should open their eyes and look at where they are coming from and the situation in those countries. As Senator Craughwell said, the narrative is being put out there that they are coming over for our social welfare and all of that. As public representatives we need to challenge that and knock it on the head. I have a family and we all have families and it does not bear thinking of that I would put my family in a rubber dinghy, shove them out into an ocean and think there is €204 per week going in that small country over there when there is less than a 50% chance that the family would even reach these shores. I know the trend is small but it is getting traction in different places. As public representatives and members of committees like this we need to knock that kind of rubbish on the head and support these refugees.