Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

We return to the House after the public vehemently and resoundingly rejected the proposals of the family and the care referendums. Today should mark a turning point for this Government and become a day on which the Government finally listens to the real concerns, difficulties and everyday issues of the population. With a voter turnout of 44%, the Government is now forced to acknowledge it is not listening to the pertinent issues of the public. Ireland does not need symbolic change but real changes.

Over St. Patrick’s weekend, we witnessed the embodiment of this Administration’s commitment to symbolic virtue signalling. Mount Street and Dublin city centre looked fine. No one visiting would have any idea that this was a city that had just destroyed the only homes that people who have come to this country availing of the IPAS system had, and who were greeted with inhumane and unlivable conditions. For those who witnessed these refugees being moved to the Dublin mountains, it made for harrowing scenes but this is the way of our Government. It disposes of the inconvenient; once out of sight, out of mind. Immigration rates are at a staggering high and exceeded 100,000 last year. This country simply cannot cope with housing, health, welfare and infrastructural needs of the people already here let alone newcomers. Plans and action must happen now. I call on the Minister for integration to come to this House and have a real debate on providing information to all Members of this House, to the public and to communities long kept in the dark about the IPAS system, and on how it plans to fix its chronic failures.

The public have sent a message with the results of the recent referendums. They want their Government to handle crises and real social problems. They want the Government to, at long last, act on its mandate while this Government believes its goal is to score its success by appeasing ideological fantasies instead of the electorate. The women and mothers of Ireland have made their voices heard.Any Irish mother would be right to tell this Government to cop on.

I also want to commiserate with our Fine Gael colleagues-----