Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

When one thinks about this situation one thinks about one's own children and families, and that is actually what we really need to do - some Deputies have already made reference to this. As a mother, I think about my own two boys and how one of my greatest fears is not being able to protect them or not being able to be there for them but I know that I am lucky enough to have family and friends around me who, if something were to happen, would step up to the mark and step into that role. It makes we wonder who is there for the children in Calais and why can that not be the Irish people.

As my colleague, Deputy Crowe said, why can we not be the welcoming country that opens its arms and welcomes these children?

I had a conversation about this issue with my nine year old son last night when I was considering what I would say about the situation in Calais in such a short space of time. He summed up the whole situation. I tried to explain as best I could to a child about the horrible situation in Calais, where children were living in temporary camps without their parents and that they are waiting for countries like Ireland to step up to mark, accept them and give them a new home where they can start a new, safe life. He responded in a matter of fact way, as many children do - I sometimes believe we can learn a great deal from listening to our children - and said that if they need a home and did not have parents to look after them, why can they not come and stay with us? It is as simple as that. Some people believe that might be too simplistic but that is at the heart of the matter. At its most basic and uncomplicated, that is what this is about.

As other speakers outlined earlier, we have the infrastructure here via Tusla. I accept that more resources may need to be provided in terms of social workers but we have the expertise and the blueprint for transferring these children, who are at huge risk now. The question is whether we have the political will and the political leadership to make it happen. Is this an issue on which we will step up to the mark?. This is something we were elected to do, and it is something to which I made reference in a speech last week on repealing the eighth amendment. We cannot pick and choose the issues we want to discuss and those we believe are popular. We have a responsibility not only to our own people here but to these children.

Many of us attended the briefing earlier, which was excellent, with the group Not on Our Watch. It is calling on the Government to urgently negotiate with the French authorities and offer assistance by offering a direct transfer to 200 of these unaccompanied minors from France. I am happy to say there has been cross-party support for this issue.

There are many times when we disagree completely in this Chamber but I am sure not one person here this evening would not agree that these children in Calais, who are now being dispersed to centres across France, deserve the opportunity to rebuild their lives. That is an opportunity that we are in a position to offer. I stress to the Minister that we should not let this opportunity go. Let us stand up to the mark and do what is right by these children.

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