Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Ruane for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, who regrets she cannot be here due to another commitment.

As the Senator will be aware, the migration and asylum pact is a set of regulations and policies that aims to create a fairer, efficient and more sustainable migration and asylum process for the EU. The pact, proposed in September 2020, is designed to manage and normalise migration for the long term, thereby providing certainty, clarity and decent conditions for people arriving in the EU.It also seeks to establish a common approach to migration and asylum that is based on solidarity, responsibility and respect for human rights. It includes reform of the common European asylum system and measures on legal migration, integration, combating migrant smuggling, returns policy and the external dimension of migration, namely, co-operation and partnership with third countries. It is important to note that Ireland did not opt in to any of the pact measures pre-adoption. However, once they have been adopted, it will be possible for Ireland to opt in under Article 4. The Department of Justice is actively examining these EU asylum and migration pact proposals, all with a view to identifying how best Ireland might implement these measures should the Government decide to opt in once they are adopted by the European Parliament.

Trilogues are ongoing on all of the measures within the pact since the Council agreed on a mandate for the last three measures under negotiation, namely, the asylum and migration management regulation, the asylum procedures regulation and the crisis and force majeureregulation, in June and October last. On the asylum and migration management regulation, the EU Council has agreed a general approach on this proposed regulation, which includes a solidarity mechanism to assist member states facing migratory pressures. A solidarity pool would be established, from which a member state which is determined as being under migratory pressure can draw. All member states would contribute to this solidarity pool on the basis of a proportional fair share principle, based on the formula of 50% population and 50% GDP.

It is important to clarify that the fair share contributions for Ireland would apply to the solidarity pool to be established, not to the total number of asylum applications across the EU. While Ireland's GDP is among the highest in Europe, it should be noted that we have one of the smallest populations and this is reflected in the formula overall. Member states would also have discretion on the type of solidarity they contribute, including relocations, financial contributions and alternative solidarity measures, such as deployment of personnel. Again, the details of this proposed regulation are not yet finalised and remain subject to negotiation with the European Parliament. Throughout the negotiations of this particular measure, Ireland has supported a predictable, sustainable and flexible system of responsibility and solidarity. We recognise that support is required for member states that are receiving a disproportionate number of applicants.