Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Tánaiste for what he did last night. I accept it was his own personal view, but he is a leading member of the Government. It is only right that we should all show our outrage at what is happening in terms of parents and children being separated. Whatever one's viewpoint on immigration and however tough or lenient a position one takes, in anyone's normal psyche it is wrong to think about separating young children from their mothers and fathers. It is just not proper behaviour. It is not right. One can have arguments and policies or one can engage in diplomacy but one should not separate small children from their parents. For God's sake, that is totally wrong. I thank the Tánaiste personally for what he did last night because he highlighted the situation from an Irish point of view. Everybody who has spoken here today to express outrage at what is happening is right to do so.

That said, I accept we must have rules, regulations and immigration controls. One issue I would like to see highlighted in this debate is how we deal with immigrants to this country. One thing I do not agree with is the fact that people who come here seeking asylum are not allowed to work. That goes against the grain completely if people are strong, fit, healthy enough and able to work. If people are willing to give them gainful work, for God's sake why not let them work? There is a lot of controversy going on about the issue currently in that the Government introduced a mechanism to allow asylum seekers to work, but they have been tied up in so many knots that it is not practicable and they are not able to get work. It is inhumane of us to have people in direct provision accommodation and saying to them that the one thing they cannot do is work. That is wrong. If people have work for them, for God's sake we should allow them to work because the right to work is a basic dignity. I refer to the ability to get up in the morning, roll up our sleeves, go out and do a day's work for somebody.

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