Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have written to the Business Committee about an issue I raised last week on behalf of the Rural Independent Group. We need a calm and reasoned debate on the influx of immigration into our country. I am not talking about refugees fleeing war. I am talking about the staggering figures that are there from places like Algeria. Fewer than 100 people from that country applied in 2021 and a staggering 1,318 have applied in the first ten months of this year. We need to look at this. We are not living in an echo chamber in here. The whole country is talking about this and is worried about it. We need to have a proper, reasonable, fair and respectful debate about it. We need it. Christmas is coming, as we know, and we need this debate, not to let it fester and drag on.

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