Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Today is International Migrants Day. It is important that we record the day. I ask that the Leader provide for a debate in the new year on the issue of migrants. The Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons has issued a statement recognising how much more there is to be done on the issue of migrants, which references the 3.5 million refugees from Syria and the over 2,000 deaths in the Mediterranean this year.The committee referred to the fact that behind these figures are individual human fates, men women and children compelled to leave their homes who depend on humanitarian support, whose human rights must be respected and who must be allowed to contribute to our common future. To my shock and horror, at that committee meeting members of the Fidesz fascist party stood up and objected to this wording. They objected to use of the terms "human rights" and "common future". Thankfully, there were enough votes to defeat them and prevent what they wanted to do in terms of changing the statement.

I do not raise this matter in order to score points. These people are absolutely scary. Yesterday they passed a law compelling workers to work 400 hours overtime for which they will have to wait three years to be paid. They have issued statements on LGBT rights that are offensive. Fidesz is a fascist party and, unfortunately, Fine Gael is sitting with its members in the European Parliament. In the 1930s fascism flourished because people did not stand up and say what needed to be said and call out the horrific policies for what they were. I am calling on Fine Gael to act here. In fairness, I have spoken to Senator Joe O'Reilly, who has been very helpful with regard to this issue. However, I cannot accept that Fine Gael members would sit with these fascists, who are busy inflicting horrific policies on their own people and on migrants, and not call them out and call for their expulsion from the European People's Party. That is what we need to hear and see today. I ask the Leader to engage on this issue seriously because we cannot stay silent in the face of the Fidesz fascist party.