Dáil debates

Wednesday, 5 October 2022

Ceisteanna - Questions

Cross-Border Co-operation

1:42 pm

Photo of Paul MurphyPaul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

There is already an effective hard border on this island that stops people from moving freely for work, accessing healthcare and visiting friends on the island. That is because the common travel area excludes those without UK or Irish citizenship, including refugees, asylum seekers, partners of citizens and more, who are not permitted to move freely within the island of Ireland for leisure, tourism, work, connecting flights or any other reason. They cannot access jobs or education on the other side of the Border or participate in anything across the Border, even sports events, festivals, cultural events and so on.

The common travel area campaign by the North West Migrants Forum is fighting to change this. It has four requests: all lawful residents on the island should be able to cross the land Border as visitors without prior permission; racial profiling at the Border should be stopped; the pre-2004 birthright to Irish citizenship should be restored; and essential cross-Border services should be open to all. Will the Taoiseach agree with these policies and stop the perpetuation of a racist and discriminatory approach?

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