Gillian Toole (Meath East, Independent)

This is probably the most divisive issue in politics. It definitely deserves more frequent discussion. I have been requesting this discussion for the past six months, so I am grateful for my two minutes now.

What will be Ireland's migration management plan for the positive net migration of 79,000 people to our country? How is Ireland's ability to cope in the following areas being measured and planned for: education, healthcare, housing, transport, policing and community safety? Forward planning and robust policies are critical for cohesion and the prosperity of everyone here. Currently, the only means of community engagement is the planning system, and even that is likely to be bypassed by the section 5 loophole. Examples of that are Kells, Ashbourne and Trim.

We now find ourselves with what I would coin as a "quadrilemma" on our hands. The first is the political will to manage migration. The second is the economic interest in having more migration. We must restore the dignity of manual labour, in particular in the care sector and in other services and industries that cannot be automated or outsourced and that we are going to need more than ever in the future. The third is meeting fundamental human rights obligations towards migrants, refugees and citizens alike. We are probably coming to the stage now where we are going to need a national conversation, about ultimately what type of society we want to live in. I hope that the opportunity to regularly visit this topic comes up. I am not sure what the timeframe is before it can be raised again, but five minutes between a group of six is very limited.

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