Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to share time Deputies Brassil, O’Loughlin, Cahill and Casey.

We are extremely concerned about the situation in Calais and the purpose of this debate was to give our response as a country to the clearing of the Jungle and the 1,500 unaccompanied minors in Calais. I am confused by the figures given by the Minister for Justice and Equality because the Migrant Rights Council of Ireland has informed us that under the current crisis we have taken one unaccompanied child. If we are to proceed in this manner it will take ten years to meet our commitment to take 4,000 refugees. The Minister stated: "If it emerges from Calais over the coming weeks that Ireland is a genuine location of choice for some of these young people, and our assistance is requested, we can of course respond in a humanitarian and proactive way". That leaves it as loose as she wants it to be. We are requesting that Ireland steps up and says to the French authorities that we are willing to help in this regard, not that we are waiting to be requested. The Minister said the Irish people are looking for a better response. I put it to her that the Irish people are well ahead of this Government. I am tired of hearing reasons and excuses as to why our record in relocating and resettling is so poor. It is time that instead of saying why we cannot do anything the Government told us what we can do and when. The timeframes keep moving out but we have a moral obligation as a country.

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Zappone, who I know very well and respect, is concerned with the slow EU response to this crisis but we are part of the European Union. What is wrong with Ireland taking a lead? What is the point in a Minister saying, as the Tánaiste did, if we are requested we will react in a proactive, humanitarian and caring way? What happens to the 150 or 200 children who are unaccounted for now? I take her point that the UK and France have their own responsibilities under the Dublin treaty for relocation and reunification with their families. We have to start now by committing to help these kids, many of these kids have gone through so much trauma and seen things I would not wish on anyone in a whole lifetime, children like Sameer who said nothing could be worse than the experience he had, the problems everyone has had, nobody if they had a choice would live in the Jungle. The Ministers say if they want to come to Ireland they will consider that. I tabled a question as recently as 4 October specifically about Calais. I have raised it consistently with the Minister for Foreign Affairs. We need to do much more than we are doing.

In terms of the purpose of this debate, we have three senior Ministers present but they have not given any commitment. I agree with some of the comments the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, made about the work of our Naval Service. I and my party are proud of the work it is doing but the Minister cannot stand over what he said earlier. I have met migrants. Sixty-nine Syrians are living here under the resettlement programme. That is the figure. The figures may have changed, and the Minister has given a further commitment up to 2017. The purpose of this debate is to try to deal with a crisis as a result of a camp in France having been cleared. It is up to us, as an Oireachtas and a Government, to say that we will be proactive as opposed to reactive and to tell the French that we are open to taking in these children. We have a good system with Tusla to be able to do that.

The responses we have received from the Ministers are gravely disappointing. They were non-committal. We have a cross-party motion that was agreed. Another motion has been circulated which I believe should be moved next week. We should not merely have statements. The Oireachtas, the Dáil and the Seanad, should vote on this issue. It is not within the gift of the triumvirate of Ministers to say we are doing enough because I and the people know we are not doing enough. We should step up once and for all, show just cause and act firmly on our moral and humanitarian obligations.

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