Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

I hope the Taoiseach will not mind me saying that he looks a little bit tired today. This may be because of the ferocious row that happened at Cabinet yesterday between Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party. It may be that cracks are appearing in the coalition as we speak. I understand it was about the issue of migration, which is a sensitive topic. I know that most people understand we have moral obligations to those who are fleeing war. We also have moral obligations to make sure we provide proper accommodation and services. Most people want a sustainable immigration policy but sustainable it is not. The Tánaiste admitted recently that Government policy has created a pull effect, that the offering of accommodation and social welfare is more attractive here in Ireland than elsewhere in Europe. Does the Taoiseach agree that given the capacity constraints in Ireland the Government needs to equalise this offering with other EU countries to make sure there is not a pull effect in future?

My worry is that the particular row happening at Cabinet is cosmetic. It is more about shifting the issue and the difficulties with regard to providing accommodation from one Department to another. Instead of having large numbers of people living in emergency accommodation under the Department of the Minister, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman, we will have large numbers of people living in emergency accommodation under the Department of the Minister, Darragh O'Brien. Is this a real effort by the Government to try to make the system sustainable or is it a political effort to make sure that one particular party is not holding this hot potato come the next election?

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