Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will state clearly what immigration does to this country. I agree that the Irish are all over the world. It is stunning hypocrisy for us. Two weeks after somebody set fire to a bus on O'Connell Street and had a riot through the city, they must be laughing this morning that the national Parliament is having a discussion on immigration. They must have really felt that they achieved their goal when they ripped through the city centre, when they assaulted gardaí, when they set fire to Garda vehicles, when they intimidated bus workers, when they intimidated Luas workers, when they made Dublin City Council workers have to clean up the place the next day, and when they made everybody in this city feel fearful, wounded and traumatised. They must be delighted that the Rural Independent Group listened to their call and put down a motion on immigration. They must be absolutely delighted. I say, "Well done, congratulations."

I will say this about immigration. Immigration keeps this city together. Immigration keeps this country together. If one needs a health worker, a retail worker or a bus driver, these are the people who are holding our society together. There is nothing to be feared when it comes to immigration. You cannot legitimately link immigration with loss of culture or with criminality unless your political mantra is, "Be afraid of the foreigner; vote for me."

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