James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak to Members of the House today. This is a very serious issue and one that I am glad to be discussing today.

I echo what my Department colleague, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, has said. The recent incidents of arson that we have seen are categorically not a legitimate form of protest. These are criminal acts by a small group of people who want to tear communities apart and sow division. There is absolutely no justification for damaging property and risking the lives of innocent people.

As the Minister, Deputy McEntee, has addressed the criminal justice aspects of these crimes, I will use my time to update the House on the incredible work that is under way to make our immigration and international protection processes smoother, quicker and more efficient. That work is being done for the benefit of local communities here in Ireland and for those people who arrive in our country to work or study, or seeking protection from conflict and often persecution. An Garda Síochána continues to liaise with the international protection accommodation services where accommodation centres are established.

As the Minister, Deputy McEntee, said, immigration has been good for this country. Just as Irish men and women have helped to shape many countries and cities around the world, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom, so too have our new Irish communities helped to develop our country. Almost every Irish-born person now comes in contact regularly with people who have come here to build their lives, which makes for a richer, more diverse experience for all of us. Many of our new neighbours are providing the expertise which makes us so attractive to the multinational companies whose taxes fund so much of our national spending. They support our healthcare and home care sectors. They help us to build more homes. They drive our busses and trains. They work in our shops and restaurants.

Much has been said about those who come here to claim asylum, and much of that has not been true. I want to make very clear that people who come here to seek protection and to live and work undergo rigorous checks to ensure they meet the criteria to build their lives here.

The International Protection Office is working tirelessly to ensure the systems we have in place ensure applications are processed quickly. It means that those who need our protection are given the opportunity to rebuild their lives here in Ireland in a timely manner. It also means that those who do not qualify are told to leave or are sent back home. This swift and fair decision-making in turn creates a disincentive for others to abuse the international protection system.

My Department has made significant investment in staff and technology, and has re-engineered processes at the International Protection Office, and that investment is delivering. Over the course of last year, we tripled the number of monthly decisions, while processing times for applicants from safe countries reduced to under ten weeks with numbers arriving from them dropping considerably. In January, we expanded the list of safe countries to include Botswana and Algeria. We also put in place a means of clamping down on those who come here having already received protection in another EU state. Those people now enter into an inadmissibility procedure with even swifter accelerated processing. Having said that, I want to be very clear that those who come to Ireland seeking protection and entering our systems having fled from persecution and war, have every legal right to be here while their cases are being reviewed.

As an island, we are particularly conscious of our entry points. For example, Rosslare Europort has been the second point of entry after Dublin Airport for Ukrainian arrivals. Immigration staff have assisted with the processing of more than 4,000 Ukrainian arrivals through Rosslare alone since Russia’s invasion two years ago. The situational policing at Rosslare Europort is regularly assessed and effective strategies have been developed. This work is carried out internally in An Garda Síochána, and externally with customs officials from the Revenue Commissioners, and Department of Justice immigration officials.

Due to the nature of the work, international and European immigration legislation, policies, and societal issues, are constantly changing and evolving, which means the body of work is also changing. To meet these challenges, plans to expand Rosslare Europort are under way and security at the port will continue to be assessed to maintain strict immigration controls to meet the highest of international standards.

While our processes and procedures for immigration are being strengthened and streamlined as necessary, let me once again say that the men, women and children who come here to seek protection from conflict and persecution have every right to do so. Our systems and checks are robust and fair. While those who do not meet the criteria to stay here under international protection laws will be returned to their countries of origin, those who do meet the criteria are welcome to Ireland to build their lives and to enrich ours.

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