Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The EU migration and asylum pact will shape European migration policy for the next decade. Across the world, there are more people on the move than ever before. This is been driven primarily by war, famine and persecution. As a result, we have seen an increase in the number of people seeking international protection in Ireland. This is not a situation unique to Ireland. It is reflected across Europe. Increased migration is a trend that is here to stay. As a country and a society, we have to respond to this reality. Compassion is a value that runs deep in Irish society. We want to treat those who come to our shores with compassion. Fairness is also something we value. A system that is compassionate but fair is best achieved through one that is working efficiently, based on a clear set of rules and procedures that are applied evenly. It means all arms of the State working together in tandem with civic society to ensure we have a functioning migration policy. Ireland must be in a position to provide protection to those who need it but it must also be able to address those cases of people who do not have an entitlement to be here. The Government is already working to improve the operation of the international protection system. We have doubled the number of staff in the International Protection Office and tripled the number of decisions. This year, so far, members of An Garda Síochána have carried out over 3,000 doorstop operations on flights that pose risks of irregular migration. Our deportation orders signed in 2024 are up 83% on the same period last year. This week, the Minister for Justice brought forward the latest set of measures to improve the functioning of the system. Among them are an increase in airline fines for people who arrive in Ireland without documents, an increase in the number of people working in processing asylum applications meaning faster decisions for all and freeing up more members of the Garda from desk duty allowing them to focus on enforcement measures.

Ireland, like all countries, has rules that govern its asylum system and they must be upheld. However, what cannot be lost in this debate is the human face of migration. For generations, Irish people have gone far and wide.

No matter where in the world someone goes, he or she is likely to find or encounter an Irish community. People have also come to and settled in Ireland. They are part of our communities and are working across our economy. Inward migration is good for Ireland. We are the better for it, not just for our economy but for society.

At the same time the scale of increase in people arriving here has led to challenges both in the State's capacity to deal with the numbers and for individual communities. It is not easy to see hotels and other facilities taken from public use. I do not want to see individual houses in estates being used in these circumstances where there is a shortage of such properties for the rental market. Some towns have seen their populations grow rapidly in a short period, creating pressures on services. This is something we are acutely aware of. This has been the challenge of grappling with an emergency response to rapidly unfolding global events. We are now moving away from an emergency response to a more managed and predictable system.

As elected representatives, we have a responsibility to lead this conversation and not to allow those on the extremes to sow division. I do not believe those spreading hate online, who sparked riots in our capital or brought people outside politicians' houses in an act of intimidation, speak for the Irish people. They are not to be confused with people in communities across the country who have real concerns. They have questions which deserve to be answered. That is why we need a coherent and effective migration policy. That is why we need a co-ordinated response with our partners in Europe. It is why the EU migration pact is essential. We cannot single-handedly resolve migration; no European country can do so alone. Those countries that have gone it alone have seen their migration numbers increase. The best the most effective approach is to be part of united Europe-wide effort.

This pact has been the subject of years of work and negotiation. Through it, we will have full control of and responsibility for borders in a system that is in common across Europe. A divided Europe risks ineffective policy which causes fragmentation and secondary movements. Given our geographical location, the majority of international protection applicants have travelled here through another EU country. The pact will bring a greater focus on returning unsuccessful applicants to their home countries or to other European countries they have travelled through. It will lead to more effective processing for those arriving with decisions that are faster and legally binding in addition to increased security with more collection of fingerprints and photographs of new arrivals.

Through the pact, we will also have the tools, laws and structures to combat illegal migration and protect vulnerable people from criminal gangs. Opting out of the pact would leave Ireland facing higher levels of secondary movement, slower processing times and a less efficient return system. It would mean applicants staying in the system for longer at a greater cost to the State. The reality is that the rise of migration across Europe is here to stay. Ours is not the only Government that will have to deal with this; future governments will also have to deal with this.

Equally, the reality is that there are no easy solutions. The public should be very wary of any politician who tries to paint easy solutions here. One thing is for certain: going it alone is not an easy solution. The best response is a united one. The migration pact will bring cohesion across Europe and Ireland should be part of that. Opting in will support a firm but fair migration system and ensure that Ireland can give shelter to those who need it and that we are not left alone in Europe to deal with the challenges of migration.

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