Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister, Deputy McEntee, for enabling this really important debate. I know how hard she and her officials have worked on this issue and how many hours she spent speaking with stakeholders both at an EU level and here in Ireland. I know that this pact has Ireland's best interests in mind. That is because Ireland helped to negotiate it.

We are all aware of the change and scale of migration issues facing Europe and the EU especially in recent years. In Ireland alone, there was a 415% increase in the number of applications in 2022 compared with 2021. This year we are now reaching 30,000 who are seeking protection. That phrase, which has been so sanitised, needs to be reiterated, namely "seeking protection". There are real people behind those numbers and statistics - real stories, real heartbreak, real families and real lives. The people coming here seeking protection are doing so from persecution, from wars, from climate change and from repressive governments. Ireland has a statutory and legal obligation to refugees and asylum seekers under international and EU law. We also have our own laws and our own systems for people who are not seeking refuge but who want to come here to live and to work. We have seen increases in both streams. There is no doubt but that this escalation in people seeking protection and seeking work here presents many challenges for us as a nation.

For the Ukrainians, we needed to get children into schools. I was very proud of the incredible work done by the Department of Education and educational welfare officers throughout the country who made that happen. It was lovely to meet so many of those Ukrainian young adults at the national flag day in St. Joseph's College recently. Of course, the main challenge for us as a country has been emergency accommodation for those seeking asylum in this country. There is no quick answer and no quick solution to this problem but joining this pact will help alleviate the burden on the International Protection Office, on the Garda and on our local communities by improving processing times and helping us to manage the flow.

On a regular basis, this House is home to discussions about the challenges facing many sectors due to labour market constraints and shortages. My Department issued almost 31,000 employment permits last year. More than 10,000 of those were issued to people in the health and the social work sector. Whether they are in healthcare, construction, hospitality, or wherever these people have come to work, the simple reality is that without migration, this country would not function properly. Our economy and our healthcare service would not function properly. In my own constituency of Dublin Mid-West, international protection applicants based in Dolcain House, Clondalkin, are largely employed working on building sites. That is a positive because it is contributing greatly not just to society and our community, but it is contributing by helping us tackle our housing crisis. It is why we need to have a firm but fair stance when it comes to migration policy.

I really welcome initiatives like the community recognition fund, which has seen over €100 million invested to support local communities in welcoming and integrating new arrivals. It was really helpful to me and to organisations in my community when we received more than €3.3 million for areas like Clondalkin, Citywest, Saggart and Rathcoole. I acknowledge that the Government needs to communicate better with our communities. We need more enhanced wraparound services to cushion a really fast influx in population. That includes an increased Garda presence in areas where populations have grown significantly such as Saggart and Citywest. For those living on the 65 bus route, it means increasing the frequency and capacity of the 65 route because it is now serving a much greater population. That is the reality from a short-term perspective. We need to be providing shelter to people who need it. We need to be providing basic services to people who need it. We need to be providing better services to the communities that are growing because of it. It also means we need to make decisions quicker.

In the medium and long term, we need an EU approach; there is no other way. We in Ireland are at our best when we are outward looking and forward thinking. Tackling immigration challenges should be no different. Migration is a global phenomenon and going it alone will not work. We need to work across together Europe. That is why we need this pact and we need it to work. This pact will strengthen border security with biometric data collection. It will ensure faster processing with binding decision timeframes. It will implement rapid processing at designated centres. It will focus on returning unsuccessful applicants and supporting front-line countries with a new solidarity mechanism. This pact will ensure that those engaging in secondary movement migration, Ireland's biggest issue, will be found and returned.

We understand the pressure being put on the system. We are not just relying on this pact. I have heard a lot of noise, misinformation and false narratives about the Government's approach to tackling the challenges, so let me talk about facts. We have taken action. We are doing more than just opting into this pact. We have doubled the number of staff in the International Protection Office and have tripled the number of decisions, with further increases planned this year. That is a fact. Fines on airline carriers are increasing from €3,000 to €5,000 to ensure passengers have the right documentation when they board and when they disembark. That is a fact. Deportation orders signed so far in 2024 are 83% up on the same period last year. That is a fact. Enforced deportations and voluntary deportations are all up by over 126%. That is a fact. One hundred gardaí are being freed up from office roles to support migration. That is a fact. The Minister, Deputy Helen McEntee, will be commencing chartered flights later this year to assist with deportations. That is a fact. Applications from newly designated safe countries have dropped by 50% since November 2022. That is a fact. This is a European problem but Ireland is part of the solution, one which is firm but fair, compassionate, practical and which provides sanctuary to those seeking protection and to those who need it.

It is a solution that relies on co-operation and shows the world that Europe is working well and together. That is what I want to help achieve and that is why I am supporting this pact and I thank those who have negotiated it.

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