Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We argued here a few months back about how mad it was to stop the Mare Nostrum operation. Did the Irish Government object to the stopping of Mare Nostrum? The argument against it was that it was encouraging migrants by rescuing them, but in actual fact, when we stopped saving them, they drowned. Up to 1,800 people have drowned already this year. It is great that Ireland has paid played a role in rescuing some of them. However, several root causes of the problem are not being addressed. We do not seem to want to talk about the reasons people are risking their lives in such numbers. Most of the solutions from the EU are short-term, geared towards stopping these people from coming here. The Europeans - including ourselves, given that we have facilitated the US war machine through Shannon Airport - have a responsibility for some of these people.

Also, I did not say they were all displaced because of war. The Minister misquoted me. However, many of them have been, and 33 million is a lot of people. We have a responsibility to do something about this.

Ireland has agreed to take 300 of the so-called good immigrants who are in camps waiting to be given a placement somewhere. However, up to 200,000 people have arrived in Europe. Are we prepared to take some of these people in? I believe we have a responsibility. They cannot just stay in camps in Italy and Greece forever. As a country, given that we have been so fond of going all over the planet ourselves, we have got to take a more humanitarian approach to these people. Will Ireland consider taking in some of the 200,000 immigrants who have arrived in Europe already?

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