Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

It was a very interesting debate and I acknowledge the range of views expressed across the House. When I was making notes for my closing remarks, I wrote that I would like to thank all of the Deputies who contributed to this important discussion. I said at the start that I hoped we would have a discussion that was balanced, fair and done in the right way. Most of the contributions were. We need to call a spade a spade. Some of the contributions veered towards an area which I find very worrying. They were contributions that were not fair, not necessarily in criticising the Government, but in terms of using tropes and language that should have no place in this type of debate.

We have to acknowledge that debates on migration can be difficult. They will always provoke strong emotions. There are differing perspectives here. For the most part, we have seen how we can engage and talk about this issue. Respectful debate is the cornerstone of democracy, but I have to call out things when I think they are crazy or are tropes that are just thrown out. We had a Sinn Féin Deputy talk about deportations and border checks in his contribution. It would nearly make me laugh if it were not so serious - to have people in Sinn Féin wanting checks for people going across the Border. They should get real because the biggest border on our island is between North and South. Are they suggesting that we close the Border? There is talking out of both sides of your mouth, but that brings a new level of farce.

I have to say I was disappointed with the contribution from the former Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. At a certain point, he went out of his way to list all of the things he was not responsible for. Unfortunately, one of the main things he was responsible for during that period in government was the IPAS accommodation system. We are sorting out the problems that came about during that period of time. Some of that was not his fault. Some of it was because of the huge influx that took place. I am willing to acknowledge that he was dealing with a very difficult situation, but we have to have reasonableness and respectfulness about it.

We had contributions from Deputies, and in particular from the Social Democrats, none of whom are still here, in which they ranged their fire down on the Tánaiste from the high moral ground. If you want to be morally superior to others, you have an extra duty of care to make sure your contributions are careful and inclusive of everything. One line has constantly been taken out of remarks made by the Tánaiste. I am going to take a moment to read the bit that these Deputies seem so incapable of following it with. The Tánaiste stated:

Let's be honest with people. We are developing a new migration policy here. We are developing a migration system and somewhat doing it in real time. I am very clear that immigration is a good thing. I am very clear that our country benefits from immigration. I am also very clear that immigration or migration into our country [is] lawful. I am very clear...

At that point the Tánaiste gets interrupted. He came back to say that he thought this was the challenge with migration. When politicians get asked a question they do not have an opportunity to answer. He added that what he was trying to say was that migration was a good thing. He said that we needed to get a system where people have a right to stay here and are told that quickly and can get on with their lives and contribute positively to our country and to integrate. He went on to say that he was speaking honestly to the people of Ireland and we were not where we need to be. He said that we had a system that needs change. When people do not have a right to be here and have exhausted their right to be here, they should be deported quickly. If they cannot be deported for some logistical reason, they should at that moment be detained. He also said that we had to be honest with people because what people are seeing right across the country is that the numbers are simply too high and he wanted to acknowledge that.

That is the totality of what the Tánaiste said and it is the totality of what the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and I keep on trying to say. We need to be honest and inclusive in total about what we are saying about migration. Most people in this country who were not born in Ireland and who we see everyday are here because we have asked them here. They are here because they are providing essential services, keeping the health service going, building the houses that we need and working in hi-tech businesses. We have gone out and looked for them to contribute and build our society. They are paying the taxes that contribute to providing the social services that we need to provide, including pensions. We have an issue with international protection and it is what this debate was about. We need to be honest and truthful about that as well. Our international protection numbers were too high. They went from the low to the high thousands. That was unsustainable. I agree with the Deputies who talked about the billion euro bill for running international protection services. That is not sustainable, but if you want to make that point make the other point too, namely, that the migration pact, the International Protection Bill 2025 which we are bringing through the Houses, will take the processing time down to 12 weeks, including the appeal. That is what will really take the cost out of providing international protection services. It gives a firm, fast and fairer system, which is better for the people who are going through it and also for this State.

While criticising the Government, one Deputy said that we should introduce a system that would take six months. We are introducing a system that will take 12 weeks. That is coming in next June. It is important that people make sure they are aware of the facts. As a Government, we want to see things change. The Minister and I are bringing this change through this Chamber and the Seanad, so we will have a new, better system. We want to see a system that is fair to everybody. We also want to recognise that Ireland has changed and that it is not going back to some version of non-reality that certain Deputies seem to think will happen.

Many of the people here are not international protection applicants but the people who are building the modern Ireland. They are the people who playing in our GAA clubs, on the soccer pitches and with our kids in the school playground. Their parents are working flat out to build and supply the services we all need. That is the new Ireland. We need to be proud of that. When I left school in 1984, if you were lucky, you got into college for a few years. Even if you did, you still most likely left. We were the migrants. We went outward. The important thing is a good lot of us came back, and we should be proud of that fact. We now have people coming here because we have a country - and I acknowledge there are still problems - that in so many ways is successful, prosperous and has grown. We need those people. We should always remember that.

As the political leaders in our country, we need to be willing to stand up and say that. At the same time, I will always respect people's right to say there are problems with the system or that the Government has got it wrong on a certain point. That is absolutely the case because you can never get anything 100% right. If the centre is willing to work together to do the reforms that are necessary to have a better system, what we will have is not just a firm, fair and effective system for dealing with international protection, but, through the people who have come in here and are living and contributing in our country, we will have a better Ireland. With that, I thank all of the Deputies for their contributions.

See this speech in context