Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)

Ireland should be a country where every child is safe going to bed at night. The attack on the home of the women and children in Drogheda at the weekend shocked the nation. People are asking how has it come to this, and how could anyone try to burn and kill children while they sleep.

It is vitally important that all of us show leadership. Words matter. The Tánaiste's words matter. Where misinformation is spread, we must challenge it. Where there are attempts to sow hate and division, we must build cohesion. Leadership means bringing calm to a debate, not inflaming it. The Tánaiste has said that migration, outside of the number of international protection applicants, is too high. What sectors will he be targeting to reduce the number of migrant workers? Will he be targeting multinationals, pharmaceutical and tech companies? The Tánaiste knows well that these sectors provide a huge amount of employment and taxation which funds our public services. Will the Tánaiste be targeting the health and care sectors? If it was not for migrants working as doctors, nurses and carers, these services would crumble.

Will the Tánaiste be targeting the large number of migrant workers that our food processing sector relies on? How would a shortage of workers in this sector impact on grocery prices? I doubt somehow that the Tánaiste will target the hospitality and tourism sectors. Which cafés, pubs, restaurants or hotels would the Government close? Is the Government thinking of reducing the supply of construction workers? This would have a detrimental effect on our ability to build the homes that are needed, the schools and hospitals. Which major infrastructure projects would the Tánaiste shelve? It is migrants who do essential work as security guards, cleaners and shop workers. Does Government think we can somehow do without these essential workers?

Migrants play a critical role in our economy and our society. It is not just as doctors, nurses or carers - they bring skills and expertise to a wide range of sectors and contribute significant levels of taxation that fund our public services. Migrants are not just critical to our economy; they contribute to communities, culture and sport. They are our friends, our family members and our neighbours. I welcome the news that Zohran Mamdani has been elected mayor of New York. In his victory speech on Tuesday night he said, "New York will remain a city of immigrants: a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant." It is a powerful reminder that immigration is not a threat; it is a source of strength. As the Tánaiste will know, many of the immigrants who built New York came from Ireland. We should show the same pride in the people helping to build and power our country now.

We have an ageing population, which means that our reliance on migrant workers will only increase in years to come.

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