Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree this is a very important debate. Something the Minister said earlier holds true, namely that there is a need for absolute condemnation by all sides of anybody who commits arson. What she said in her speech is important to press home, which is that if a group of people breaks into a premises and sets it on fire, it does not matter who actually lit the match, all potentially face a charge of arson and could spend up to a maximum of ten years in jail. Special gardaí have been appointed to investigate each and every one of these awful, evil, criminal acts and I welcome that. I also welcome the fact that people are before the courts following the riots in Dublin. It is important they get salutary, long sentences.

It is important for me during this debate to say what I believe in. My brother Niall has worked in America for many years on behalf of the people that Deputy Ó Riordáin spoke about. He has worked very hard to make sure the Irish in America are treated properly and that Irish immigration reform is appropriately and properly handled. I fully support that work. We can draw an historic parallel between the people who are burning premises and opposing new people coming in to our country today with the Know Nothing movement in America in the 1850s. Members of that movement were opposed to, and tried to combat, what they viewed as foreign influence. They wanted to uphold and promote traditional ways of life and what they considered to be the American way of life. They were virulently anti-Catholic and were particularly against German Catholics and Irish immigrants. That was a movement in the 1850s and today we have the same xenophobia, with appalling acts being carried out and very offensive language being used. We are seeing the targeting of people who are of a different religion to Christian religions, who have different mores and customs and who are a different colour to most people in this House.

It is hugely important that we balance this debate, say exactly what we think and try to get an outcome that is acceptable to everybody. The situation in Drogheda has been very difficult. I know that all political parties in Drogheda are basically of one mind on the decision to remove the only hotel in occupation in the town, to take it out of the public domain. It was a bad and arrogant decision that showed no empathy or understanding of the commercial and other needs of a community that has played, and continues to play, its part in meeting the needs of new residents or international protection applicants and Ukrainians in the town. It is very important to say that the high-handed action of the Minister, which was taken without consultation, resulted in a group of people who were members of the Irish Freedom Party holding an event in Drogheda at which, thankfully, nobody in Drogheda was prepared to speak. That is an important point. There was a call for people from Drogheda to speak at the event but nobody took the microphone. It is very important to note that there are people who support proper and full integration in our society but who, at the same time, have a significant objection to losing the only hotel they have.

Drogheda is the largest town in Ireland. As I understand it, the Chamber of Commerce said the occupancy rate in the D Hotel was 86%. This was an active hotel that was fully in use and there is no other hotel within walking distance of the town. There is no other hotel, apart from Scholars Townhouse Hotel which has only 16 bedrooms, because the others are also being used to house Ukrainians and other refugees. There are several small hotels on the periphery of the town but none of them is within walking distance of the centre. As a result of the cack-handed actions of the Minister, there is nowhere in Drogheda for people to stay overnight. Our tourism industry, which has been very heavily invested in by this Government, is at nil because people will not be able to stay overnight. If people come back from America, England or elsewhere for a funeral, there is no hotel for them. That is at the heart of the objections in Drogheda and it is very important to say that clearly here. I am someone who has stood up against the abuse of Ukrainians when they were being exploited in my town. I stood on their side and will continue to work for them and support them. The Minister for integration, Deputy O'Gorman, needs to think again. He needs to go back to the premise that democracy is about consultation. It is not about telling people what one is going to do or giving them an hour's notice that their hotel is closing. When faced with such a major decision, an experienced politician will think it through, talk to the Chamber of Commerce and other business interests, and identify what the impact will be economically and in terms of tourism but that did not happen in Drogheda. I note that the Minister for Justice, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys and the Minister for integration, Deputy O'Gorman will meet to discuss these issues again. It is important to find a way forward that does two things, that welcomes migrants into the town but also makes sure we do not lose our only hotel. That is the conundrum that has to be faced and dealt with.

Ukrainians in particular make a huge and important contribution to our economy. There are more than 16,000 Ukrainians, mainly females, working in our cafés, shops, garages and elsewhere and they are very welcome. They also make a very significant contribution in rural areas. Where school enrolment numbers are down, they can make a real difference by making schools, and primary schools in particular, viable into the future. They bring vibrancy and new life into our communities which is very welcome indeed. The key thing is to accentuate the positive and support the people who are entitled to be here.

I agree with the immigration process being firm. If people are coming here from a country that is deemed safe and there are no other issues related to abuse, rape, or female genital mutilation, they should be sent back to their country, if it is a safe place and there is no danger there. If the country is deemed to be safe, then there is no issue. Obviously, sending people back to Afghanistan would be a different ball game altogether. I understand why governments might be reluctant to send people back to countries where the Taliban is in power and they are likely to be executed if they go back there. We need a balance in this debate. The European Union has discussed this but it would be useful if it could agree a full list of safe countries which is recognised in every member state and agree that there is no place in the EU for people from any of the countries on that list.

The other issue I wish to address is shortages of skilled labour in our economy. If we have people living in this country and we are assessing their applications for permission to stay, I would support a policy of allowing them to work if they have skills we need, such as carpentry or other building skills, and if we currently have a shortage of such workers.

Why do we not specifically in those cases say, "Yes, you can stay here because you are going to add to our economy, build the houses we need and make a significant difference"? A total of 20% of our population was not born in Ireland. That is a significant number. We need people in this House and in the Seanad from those communities. They need to be elected, to represent those views here. We need people of all religions in here. If people stand for election, it is the luck of the draw whether they are elected or not, but there is a significant need for representatives of those communities, languages and religions to be in the Seanad at the very least. I would like to see them in this House. In my constituency, and no doubt in all constituencies, there are people of different religions and backgrounds standing for election. I hope they will be elected in the local election.

Things are changing on the ground. Ireland is a different place now. It is multicultural and multiracial. Driving here today, I witnessed how vibrant our economy still is. At 7 a.m. our roads are crowded with people going to work. Our trains are full. There are many good things happening here. It is a safe place for people who need to come and who are fleeing persecution. Long may it remain so. Nevertheless, the reality isTheIrish Times poll yesterday showed that of people who were asked what was the most important issue in their community, 22% responded, "Immigration". They deem it to be more important in the month of February than housing and everything else. There is an issue here and it is the issue of talking to people. People object when they do not know the facts. When a town loses its only viable hotel, that is not acceptable. If the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, learns that lesson, he will have learned that the people of Drogheda are very angry at what he has done. He is meeting us again and hopefully will have an answer. The Minister must not confuse losing a hotel and not welcoming new people into the community. People welcome them. In Drogheda, we have a huge immigrant population with more than 2,500 people working in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. It must one the biggest employers in the country. Many people from diverse cultures and religions are in that hospital and also people with no religion. We are a vibrant, welcoming community and will always be, but we want a resolution to our hotel problem.

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