Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is good that Ireland is taking in some people. It has been one of the better countries at providing aid in some crises in which people are suffering badly. Rather than just examining the symptoms and trying to help in whatever way we can, it is surely time that we took on board the serious causes of the serious crises around the globe. As I stated before, the migrants did not just appear out of thin air.

Militarisation of much of the Middle East and other parts of the world has a lot to do with the efforts of so many hundreds of thousands of migrants to get across the Mediterranean. We need to take this on board. I appeal to the Government to think again about the fact that we allow arms and munitions to come through Shannon Airport. This helps to cause so much of the misery. War is responsible for a considerable proportion of the displacement. Ireland could play a very positive role by standing up and saying no country, including the United States, should be allowed to bring any arms and munitions or troops through Ireland to any war front because war does not create peace, it creates destruction. I appeal to the Government to take a fresh look at how we are allowing Shannon Airport to be used.

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