Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also want to raise the issue of the attitude of the Government to the call to bring 200 unaccompanied refugee children, who face serious risk in Calais, as articulated by Not On Our Watch, to Ireland. I have a copy of the proposed draft motion. I have not had the opportunity to consult with anyone on it, but it is ambiguous, unconditional and makes no real commitments.

It certainly does not deal with the specific request made of the Oireachtas, which is to take in 200 of these children.

Has the Cabinet committee discussed the Government's response to the ongoing humanitarian tragedy? A report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees confirmed last Friday that at least 240 refugees had drowned recently off the coast of Libya. We are almost immune to it. We are speaking about people. Five rescue boats were within sight of the refugees but, despite their best efforts, most of those refugees died. The Government is still remiss in terms of its commitments, which are too limited. We should be making a greater commitment to bringing those people to this country, but the Government has not even kept to its own targets. In terms of the Not On Our Watch group's request, it appears to me that the Government is dodging the issue. Will the Taoiseach reconsider and accept the imperative of taking these 200 children from France?

See this speech in context