Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator. I will certainly undertake to liaise with appropriate colleagues in the Cabinet, as I know the Senator will do. I will certainly be happy to help facilitate it, as appropriate.

What motivated my decision to seek Government approval to close the immigrant investment programme to new applicants, effective from the close of business tomorrow, Wednesday, 15 February, was very clear, emphatic advice to me from officials in the Department of Justice to the effect that the scheme has served its purpose, that the times have changed and that the context has changed very significantly. Even internationally, the context has changed. I referred in my opening statement to the views of several international organisations, including the OECD, on such immigrant investment programmes. Generally, I feel it is a good idea to decouple the work of investment from matters that my Department has responsibility for. My Department is one that has responsibility for border security, national security and security in a political sense for An Garda Síochána, although it is independent in its operation. It is important that the public policy appropriateness of the continuance of such a scheme is always stress tested. I have landed at the view that it is no longer appropriate to keep the scheme open, effective from tomorrow. I am pleased the Cabinet has agreed to that. I will certainly continue to liaise with the Senator on this issue.