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

I thank the Taoiseach. A wide range of issues were obviously discussed at the European Council meeting, including the major global challenge of migration. As we know, an agreement was reached by the justice ministers on 8 June in respect of the central elements of the asylum and migration pact, using qualified majority voting. The aim of this agreement is to put in place a common procedure for the processing of applications for international protection, to establish mandatory border procedures, and to adopt a flexible solidarity mechanism. We are told that Hungary and Poland raised their opposition to the new plan at the European Council meeting, or certainly raised concerns about it. I ask the Taoiseach whether he thinks this new agreement regarding migration will work. Can he confirm that Ireland will continue to advocate for a humanitarian response to the ongoing and unfolding tragedies in the Mediterranean? Does he agree that central to any solution should be a crackdown on the criminal gangs involved in human trafficking? Finally, is it now not clear that we must substantially increase legal pathways for migrants trying to make a new life in the EU?

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