Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is a nonsense term that is absolutely designed to instil fear in people about foreigners as they come here. That is what it is. It is low-level racism towards people coming to this country. Of course they are not vetted, but we know who they are. It is not the case that many people are floating around Ireland from other countries and we have no idea who they are. That is not true either. Let us cut out that misleading language. They are people who are coming here, just as Irish people who went to the United States, Australia, Argentina and other countries all over the world included unvetted males. There is no reason to be afraid of them. There is also the notion that somehow an unvetted male is more dangerous than an unvetted other kind of person. It is a nonsense.

Let us continue to look at this in a manner that reflects the perspective of what is there. There is opportunity with it. The Government has made a clear decision that there is benefit in it for us in dealing with the pressures that come with people coming to this country, who need to be looked after because they are traumatised, and are without their own belongings and support networks, etc. We should deal with them. The irony is that many Members I have heard speak about this issue also hold themselves out as believers in Jesus Christ. This pact is exactly the kind of thing he would have supported. I have heard a singularly unchristian attitude from many of the people opposed to it. It is absolutely legitimate to have concerns about the pact, to ask questions about how things will operate and to continue to liaise with the Government on how it will use the pact to benefit us. However, let us not stir up unnecessary fear and, let us be honest, unnecessary hatred about people coming to this country seeking refuge. Let us look at helping them, accommodating them, and dealing with the pressures as they come here in a community-based way where we rely on the resources, assistance and knowledge of our colleagues throughout Europe. That is the only way we can deal with this crisis in a proper and effective manner.