Tom Shehan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I rise this morning to raise an issue that is coming down the track and which could cause serious problems, that is our immigration policy on which a debate is warranted in the very near future. Statistics from the Department of Finance and elsewhere show that the country is on an upward swing. There is an old saying that a rising tide lifts all boats. I hope that on foot of the improvement in our financial circumstances our people will come home from Australia, America, Canada and other places and benefit. I am fearful, however, that there is nothing in place to prevent 40,000 or 50,000 of our European neighbours coming to the country to benefit from this upward trajectory in our financial status. European law is what must be tackled in this regard as there is nothing to stop these immigrants arriving at any time. We need control and even to be selfish to bring back our own people from far-flung places.