Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

We also need to recognise that every time people come into the country, there is increased pressure on public services. We have to consider this in a balanced fashion. This is not a radical concept. This is something that happens in most mature democracies, in most European countries. We are late to this because migration numbers have only become a larger issue of public debate in recent years after the war in Ukraine and other things. This is what mature democracies and responsible politicians do. They put in place a migration policy and make sure the rules are applied. If a person has a right to be here, great, they should be allowed to make their contribution and be integrated and supported and we will thank them for doing so. However, if someone does not have a right to be here, we have to address that as well.

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