Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It needs to be said that there is a risk in this country, because of a certain allergy to religion within the cultural elite, that not enough would be said and done to call out persecution of Christians where it occurs. I have always said that when it comes to migration policy, we should have a structured but generous approach, and we should not distinguish between people of faith, per se, but if Christians are suffering particularly, if there is a situation where Christians do not go into refugee camps for fear of what might happen to them there, if one has a situation where the first people to Europe's borders are those with resources and strength and are relatively strong compared with much more oppressed and weaker people of religious minorities, including Christians, it is legitimate for us to seek out where the need is greater. It is legitimate for us to be mindful of our own Christian heritage in showing solidarity with those people. That is not the same thing as suggesting that this country is a Christian country to the exclusion of all others. We need to be mindful that Christians are particularly getting it in the neck in the world today. Due to the culture that now dominates in our country, there might be a certain nervousness in the highest places to name what is happening to Christians. We must warn against that as well which is a point on which the Minister of State may probably agree with me.