James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)

Deputy O'Flynn has left the Chamber but unless I misheard him, he said that when we walk through our villages, they do not reflect Irish society. I am not sure what he meant by that but I cannot imagine how it could be interpreted as anything other than inflammatory. It really puts into stark contrast the labels that have been thrown at my party leader for the measured remarks he has made in respect of how we deal with the international protection system and with migration. Like others in this House, I utterly condemn the cowardly and reprehensible behaviour we have seen in Citywest and Drogheda. I am glad to hear every Member call those responsible out for what they are, which is racist, unlawful and an affront to us all.

I will speak about something central to the immigration debate and the way we do politics as our country's demography and workforce change. In discussing migration, we must acknowledge it is a complex social phenomenon. There are different forms of migration. It brings obvious benefits to our economy, healthcare system and cultural life but it also presents new demands. Given the issue's complexity, the public expects that we, as its representatives in this House, will discuss challenges for the systems we use to manage migration. I fear we are falling disappointingly short of the public's expectations. To state these two things that are obviously true should not be controversial. The Tánaiste's recent remarks simply reflected the issue's complexity and the need to respond to a new environment.

Of course our policies should change if our system is not fit to deal with the challenges we face on migration for both workers and those seeking international protection. We do, of course, need workers and we have a duty to support people in need but we also need a rules-based system. These are arguments that cannot be brushed aside. Arguments should always be considered on their merits and on the strength of evidence in support of them. Ideological dogma should never take precedence over constructive debate. It is disgraceful that some parties in this Chamber have chosen to engage in dangerous and divisive culture war politics. The bad faith arguments, closer to innuendo, put forward by some of the Opposition have been nothing short of remarkable. As a former Lord Mayor of Dublin, I am incredibly proud that one in five people living in Dublin city is not originally from Ireland. That adds to the vibrancy of our city and makes it international. Deputy O'Flynn's remarks about walking through villages and not seeing Irish society absolutely disgust me.

However, you can believe both things are true and still believe in a rules-based system for migration while still championing the extraordinary people who are working in our health service but equally acknowledge there are challenges in our international protection system. This is an important debate worth having.

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