Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ireland and the United States of America have always had a very special and historical relationship and all efforts should be focused on maintaining that. That said, the events of the past seven days have left people extremely concerned about what is happening. Apart from the casual attempt to humiliate the Mexican President, there has been an executive order essentially arbitrarily banning from the United States millions of people from seven different nations on the basis of religion and nationality. This is completely unacceptable. It stigmatises an entire religion and associates it with terrorism and mayhem. It is also dangerous in that it emboldens others to act against people of the Muslim faith. The ban contravenes the Geneva Convention and offends our concept of human decency, our values and religious liberty.

It is striking to note the contrast between how the world reacted to the refugee question after the Second World War and how the world today, particularly democracies, is reacting. After the Second World War, we had open doors whereas democracies are now closing their doors to genuine refugees from war-torn areas. In that context, it is very heartening to see the Jewish community standing shoulder to shoulder with their Muslim brethren in defending them against this particular ban.

There is no logic to the ban in terms of what it sets out to achieve. As a matter of fact, US born citizens have been responsible for the majority of the heinous terrorist acts that have occurred on US soil. America was built on immigration and refugees, which have been an essential ingredient in the entrepreneurial flair and economic development that occurred in the United States. It is interesting that many of the major companies in the technology industry, for example, Google, Facebook, Lyft, Airbnb and Viber, have given large donations to the American Civil Liberties Union to fight cases and defend those who have been affected by the ban. The ban is damaging to America and the world.

I believe the Taoiseach should proceed with his visit to the United States. It is important in terms of the historical relationship I mentioned earlier. It is not just about a bowl of shamrock. I also believe the pre-clearance facility should be maintained because to get rid of it would be to disadvantage the more than 1.5 million who travel on an annual basis.

We need a commitment from the Taoiseach that he will state publicly that the ban is morally wrong and violates the Geneva Convention in respect of refugees and discriminates on the basis of religion and nationality. Does the Taoiseach accept that and will he say so in those terms? Has the Taoiseach written to President Trump conveying the Government's opposition to this executive order and has he asked him to repeal it? If not, will he commit to so doing? Will the Taoiseach agree to an all-party motion strongly opposing this ban and conveying our Parliament's unified and unanimous opposition to it?

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