Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

There was a fair amount of stick but as a consequence of the steps we have taken, the numbers seeking asylum in Ireland have gone down from 12,000 to less than 5,000. I have taken effective action to curb significant abuses. Our system remains the same. People are entitled to protection but I have done something about it.

However, when I was made Minister in 2002, I was faced with a situation in the autumn of that year where I had a pending appeal to the Supreme Court against a decision in my favour in the High Court in the L and O case. When the masters of the various hospitals approached me saying they had a big problem in this area, I explained that I had a forthcoming decision in the Supreme Court which might go in my favour and solve the entire problem, or almost entirely. I also said I was generating legislative proposals on carrier liability, so the problem might not be all that big.

However, by summer 2003, the record in the Oireachtas Library shows they were back again, saying that although the number of asylum seekers had gone down to one third of non-national births, they were still faced with a very serious problem and they used the phrase that if it was not addressed, we would need to build a fourth maternity hospital in Dublin. They also said that a medical catastrophe was waiting to happen and Dr. Geary, one of the masters, very honourably said in a recent radio interview that life and death situations were arising in this context.

Regardless of whether my use of the word "plead" — that they pleaded for something to be done — was apt, I note that Senator Brian Hayes said he would plead with me today to defer the referendum. I note that he used the term, but if I said he was pleading he might think that was over the top. However, a very strong case was made to me that I had to change the law to tighten up on immigration.