Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, for her comprehensive report on the meeting of the European Council. It seems that many issues aside from those reported in the media were discussed at it. As expected, the migration crisis dominated the agenda of the two-day European Council summit last week. Migrants from the Middle East and north Africa - and Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea in particular - who cross the Mediterranean are a major concern for the European Union. Indeed, it is one of the biggest challenges facing Europe at this time and has the capacity to threaten its future existence. Migration is also one of the great global issues of the day, as is evident from political issues in the United States. As a result, a new wave of populism has emerged in the politics of Italy, Hungary, Poland and Austria, where right wing parties are now in the ascendancy. We see too that the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is under pressure on the issue as she seeks to accommodate her junior coalition partner, the Christian Social Union in Bavaria. However, all right-thinking people must condemn unnecessary scaremongering in regard to migrants and asylum seekers. Political parties should not exaggerate the problem for their own political ends. Some deliberately target vulnerable people, mostly Muslims, to gain political support. That is not in accordance with the liberal democratic values of the European Union and must be rejected. The reality is that arrival rates of migrants and asylum seekers to the EU have declined in recent years, as was pointed out by other contributors to this debate.

What was agreed in the joint statement after a long night of discussions in Brussels last week? What compromise was reached? Incidentally, this episode gives an indication of what might happen at the October summit, at which Brexit and the backstop issue will be finalised in the withdrawal agreement. The warning given by the former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, is relevant: in the early hours of the morning when patience is wearing thin, Ireland could be forced to compromise on the question of Brexit. That is a real worry of which we must be conscious in view of how the European Council operates on big, contentious issues.

The European Council agreed to examine the establishment of regional disembarkation centres to process rescued refugee asylum applicants in non-EU third countries, presumably in north Africa.

These would be migrant processing centres. Agreement was reached to stem illegal migration and increase funding to control the EU's external borders to strengthen Europe's frontiers, so to speak. It would be important also to increase aid to these African transit states and to increase economic opportunities in these failed nation states.

In addition, everything should be done to stop the boat smugglers and to discourage migrants from getting these boats. We have to stop migrants heading off on these perilous journeys to Spain, Italy and Greece in particular. What is needed is a humanitarian response. There must also be burden sharing and an openness to the proposal for mandatory quotas. I note there is resistance to that concept from Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria. We need to show solidarity with other EU states in respect of this problem and encourage a dispersal for those caught up this nightmare. We also need a common European asylum policy. It is obvious to everyone that the Dublin regulation is hopelessly out of date and no longer fit for purpose.

In terms of Ireland's position on this matter, we are not on the front line and are somewhat removed from it all but we should honour our commitment to take another 2,000 migrants, bringing the total to 4,000. We are to treble our contribution to €15 million to EU funds to support migrants through the EU Trust Fund for Africa. Ireland must adopt a humanitarian response. Operation Sophia is working well and we should be proud of our participation in that. I hope to get to ask the Minister of State a few more questions at the end of the debate.

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