Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I listened to the Minister carefully. This Government has led a divisive campaign about refugees and asylum seekers. This has led to a situation where we have two tiers. The Ukrainians came in with full rights compared to those ensconced in direct provision. This Government has stood over direct provision, a system that was not fit for purpose, for over 24 years. There were numerous reports, starting with the modest report of Mr. Justice Brian McMahon at the time and going on to the Catherine Day report. A decision was made by the Government, which I welcomed, to stop direct provision, the serious for-profit system that was undermining human rights and feeding into a horrible narrative.

I have also gone through the elections supporting people and experienced that narrative, which I deplore, but the Government has had a hand in that. Today, the headlines are that the Government will bring in legislation to revoke people's citizenship. Can the Government imagine the narrative it is feeding into? I come from Galway city and county and have watched what has happened to my dismay and horror. I have deplored the comments made in Oughterard, which I described as the worst meeting of my life. Then I saw what happened in Rosscahill and lately in Carraroe. All that time, the Government has learned nothing. I deplore the comments made in Carraroe. I would lose votes rather than support any of those comments or that narrative but the Government has persisted with the policy of taking over hotels and not providing extra services to the areas. There is also the added insult of English classes in a Gaeltacht area. These are small examples of the Government's failure to learn and to deal with direct provision in a more human way and deal with the people coming to our country seeking asylum. They are not immigrants but people seeking asylum and under international law, we have obligations to look after them and make quick decisions. If they are not entitled to asylum, there should certainly be a quick return but none of this has happened. The Government has allowed this horrible narrative, which I deplore, to build up such as the argument that Ireland is full or questioning whether we can take any more. It is horrible language.

This pact has seven parts but nobody has explained why there is only one vote. Perhaps I am wrong. Is it one vote on seven individual parts? There has been no explanation as to why this will happen. There is no ability for us to tease this out because it went to the Oireachtas Committee on Justice for one day. There was pressure to get it debated in the Dáil. There was one day when people came in to make presentations. I understand the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is on record as saying that it did not have enough time to make a presentation. Can one imagine? An organisation of that status did not have enough time to make a submission on this. We were led to believe that it had to be pushed through before the local and European elections but suddenly it did not have to, just like the copyright referendum that was supposed to be held. That was put off as well. That went by the board as well even though we were told that had to be held. Suddenly, this was not to be done before the elections and here we are.

I am on side with the tenor of what the Minister said about the unacceptable nature and our obligations. My difficulty concerns what has happened to the European project, the lens we are looking down and the tunnel vision we have. An article by Sally Hayden in today's edition of The Irish Times tells us about the situation in Sudan. The article quoted people saying "We are looking for help, we are looking for humanity". It is an impossible situation with 10 million people displaced in Sudan. What are we doing? Absolutely nothing. On Leaders' Questions today, my question was about Palestine where people are being slaughtered. What are we doing? We are waiting for our big sisters and brothers in Europe to tell us what to do. Oh yes we are. The Government is going to vote for Ursula von der Leyen.

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