Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Harkin. I am aware of the situation in Dromahair. I have only been briefed about it but only today and I do not want to comment on it in detail in case I do not have all the facts. I am told that a community engagement team has been set up, and it has been engaging with Deputies Feighan, Harkin and Kenny in an effort to set out exactly what is and is not happening in Dromahair. Deputy Harkin asked what our immigration and migration policy is. Let me be as clear as I can be, and sometimes it is difficult to be clear because this is not straightforward. There are different types of migration and different types of migrants. The situation is that anybody who is a UK or Irish citizen has a right to live in this country. Anybody who is an EU or EEA citizen has a right to live, work, study and do business in this country, just as we can in all of their countries too.

That is what it means to be part of the European Union. I think the advantages of that outweigh the disadvantages manifold, and people have voted that way in referendums on many occasions.

When it comes to anyone else, in order to enter the country, a person requires a visa. It might be a work visa, it might be a student visa or it might be a work permit. Of course vetting occurs in those instances. Separate to that, we have people who arrive from Ukraine under the temporary protection directive. They have a right to be here under European law. We do our best to accommodate them as best we can. They have the right to work and study.

Then we have people who arrive in an irregular manner. Under international law, and just as is the case in Italy, Britain, France and America, they can apply for protection. Our job is to assess their applications as quickly as possible, give them legal status if they are entitled to it and, if they are not, to issue deportation orders and ensure those are enforced.

This is our migration policy. I know it is not simple and I know it is not straightforward, but it cannot be, as life is not straightforward and the world is not straightforward. There are different people coming from different countries for different reasons. That is the policy that we have.

Finally, regarding the terrible events that occurred on Parnell Square on Thursday, I really would ask people to try to avoid connecting crime with migration. It is not right.

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