Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have just two minutes and 50 seconds so I will be blunt, brief and to the point. I am not sure if the Ministers do shame but I certainly felt shame listening to their speeches and reading them again as I sit here. They have been asked to lead and the country is begging us to join together, stand with an act of solidarity and take in at least 200 children.

There is hypocrisy in this Chamber. Earlier we spoke for two hours about the protection of children against all types of abuse. There has been a disingenuous use of language by the three Ministers. It is a trinity of Ministers without a sign, really, of Trinity and Christianity.

There was no mention of the 200 children in their contributions just as a symbol. As Deputy Howlin said, there is a huge problem and this will not sort it out but it would be a symbolic gesture if we did that much. Instead of that, they have stood idly by and watched 10,000 unaccompanied minors disappear in Europe. The number of unaccompanied minors who have not disappeared is in excess of 100,000 in Europe.

We, and the Government, in particular, have stood by and watched people live in what is called a jungle and Ministers did not think that word was unacceptable. We had weasel words about France and England not asking us to do anything and about this not being an official camp. Can they just sit there and look at the people in the Visitors Gallery or read the e-mails reaching us on a daily basis begging us to show leadership, to stand up and adopt an independent foreign policy, and to be a proud small nation that will show the way forward when ongoing war and the arms trade is not the way? Can we say that we will not in this Chamber tolerate unaccompanied minors sitting in shipping containers? We should all be ashamed in this Chamber but, fortunately, the people of Ireland are saying, "Enough with shame. Stand up and be counted and take in at a minimum 200 children and follow that with a proper, open and intelligent debate in this Chamber with a view to taking action as an independent sovereign State".

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