Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

At the core of this is the notion that there are decent, genuine, generous people who want to help in these situations. As has been said, some of them are members of various humanitarian organisations but they are also individuals who sometimes risk a great deal to help people. We know that happened recently in Afghanistan when people had to be got out of there and there were individuals who risked a great deal to get them out and try to get them to a safe place. We know there are also economic migrants who want to get a place where they can have a better future. God knows, we in this country know that is exactly what so many of our ancestors sought. They went out with their hand out looking for a welcome and in most places they got it. We have an obligation to try to protect people and organisations who want to do that. What has happened in the English Channel tonight is a stark reminder of what faces many of these unfortunate people when they are in that terrible position. It is imperative there is a solution found to that and that we protect both the humanitarian organisations and the individuals who would be prepared to take risks to assist people. It is equally imperative that there is not, as Deputy Howlin said, a loophole that can be used by the unscrupulous groups of criminals to make an awful lot of profit out of human misery.

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