Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

The General Assembly was used decades ago. It is not a feasible option for sanctioning peace initiatives and the Deputy well knows it. It is not a viable or feasible approach. Every peacekeeping mission in which we have participated have been sanctioned by the Security Council and it is increasingly becoming more problematic to even get agreement on humanitarian corridors in places of conflict as we have experienced in Syria, Ethiopia and other areas.

The issue of deportations involving families is very traumatic and stressful for children but every country in the world has rules, passports, visas and routes of legal migration. No country in the world has an open border. Ireland does not have open borders and we have always had rules and frameworks. There must be a pathway to legal migration and if people do not qualify, we must take action. That is the context for what the Minister for Justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, has been doing. It is not about trying to look strong or anything like that but there must be a clear policy framework that is well articulated and understood.

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