Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join in the tributes expressed across the House on the passing of two Irish legends of broadcasting. The wonderful Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh was the sound of the GAA, the sound of Sunday and for generations of fans he was an exceptionally descriptive broadcaster and was also generous with his time, particularly in promoting the Irish language, his native tongue. I offer my condolences to his wife Helena, their extensive family and wide circle of friends. We also learned today of the passing of Tommie Gorman, who played a significant role in the peace process by reporting on the turbulent times in the North. He always delivered his segments with honesty and clarity and was a trusted journalist down through the years. I offer my condolences to Tommie’s family, Ceara, Moya and Joe, and to his wider family and friends. I also extend my sympathies to the RTÉ colleagues of both Mícheál and Tommie.

I welcome the opportunity to examine the proposed EU asylum and migration pact. First, I thank everyone who contacted with me with feedback on this issue. It is fair to say the matter has generated significant public interest. I welcome the time that has been allocated to allow a full debate and to ensure all TDs have the opportunity to have their say on behalf of their constituents.

As has been mentioned by many contributors, the EU asylum and migration pact was proposed by EU states as a response to the pressure of irregular migration. At the heart of the pact is the acknowledgement that no single state can successfully deal with the challenges on its own. Only through working together at EU level can we hope to manage the challenges of irregular migration. Many MEPs on the left in the European Parliament opposed the pact on the basis they felt the provisions were too strict. Indeed they felt arrangements should be more relaxed. I strongly disagree with this sentiment. On the other hand, other MEPs are opposed to the pact, favouring a go-it-alone policy for individual states. Again I disagree, as this is not a viable or sustainable policy approach.

Over the past two years we have seen a very significant increase in the number of people applying for asylum in Ireland. This has put significant strain on the State and on communities across Ireland. Elements of the existing arrangements, practices and laws surrounding people seeking asylum are not satisfactory. Existing laws need to be enforced and where necessary updated. The pact will ensure laws are updated. We have seen the challenges created by people destroying documentation when landing in the State and presenting without documentation. Authorities have moved to deal with this by actively enforcing section 11 of the Immigration Act 2004. Fianna Fáil has called for legislation to be updated to make the destruction of documentation a stand-alone criminal office. We also want to see fines significantly increased for airlines and ferry companies that fail to comply with their obligations under section 2 of the Immigration Act 2003 to ensure that each person they carry into the country has a valid passport or other equivalent document. We also want to see greater co-operation with authorities in Northern Ireland concerning people arriving from the UK, which as we have seen has become a significant channel of entry. Ultimately, the processing times for people seeking asylum need to be dramatically reduced and when someone is found to have an unsuccessful claim they must leave the State or be deported. In addition, people who commit a crime in Ireland should be deported immediately, once the criminal proceedings have concluded.

As regards the EU asylum and migration Pact, I am conscious that Ireland cannot deal with the impact of immigration alone and that the pact is an attempt to deal with the issue on an EU-wide basis. However, I have concerns about elements of the pact. That said, many aspects are welcome, such as the pact’s enhanced screening and security measures which will reduce irregular secondary movements of asylum seekers. This provision is particularly important for Ireland, as the pact will involve the end of the Dublin Convention which could leave Ireland open to having to deal with secondary movements if we remain outside the pact. The pact would also see the expansion of the Eurodac database, used to check migrants’ fingerprints, which would enable even more information to be shared between countries. The elements to strengthen EU borders are also welcome, as are agreements with Tunisia, Mauritania and Egypt to prevent irregular deportations happening in the first place. The provisions of the pact will ensure the EU borders will be screened. Screening includes identity and security checks. The information collected at screening, including fingerprints, will be uploaded and stored on the EU Eurodac database, available to all states in the pact. It is critical that Ireland have access to the database and that information.

Second, the pact requires that applications are processed within six months, with an accelerated procedure of three months available where the person is deemed a security risk. The efficient processing of applications is critical. As we know, appeals against deportation frequently cite delays in processing applications. The principle at the heart of the EU migration and asylum pact is to establish a more coherent approach across the EU to migration, asylum, immigration, integration and border management, one fit for the 21st century. While elements of the pact are not perfect, it is not sustainable for Ireland to attempt to go it alone. Reference was made earlier to Brexit. Look what has happened in the UK. It is only through working together as EU member states that we can deal with the challenges of irregular migration. On this basis I will be supporting the pact.

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