Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)

I read a disturbing article on thejournal.ie this morning about 13 Oireachtas broadcast workers who will have to sign on the dole next week. I want to know what the situation is in that regard.

I reiterate the deep concern expressed by my colleague Senator Crowe regarding the upcoming ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union. As he noted, the suggestion is that asylum seekers arriving in Ireland could have stronger entitlements to State support than do Irish citizens who are homeless. I have mentioned many times my involvement in the Lighthouse Cafe on Pearse Street, where we feed people of all nationalities who are experiencing homelessness, including Irish people, asylum seekers, etc. They eat, sing and play bingo together. It is a wonderful place where there is no division. It is a space where dignity, unity and compassion are shared in equal measure.

The suggested ruling risks undoing the delicate balance we have created. It will not just affect housing policy but also social cohesion. The perception, right or wrong, that Irish people are treated as second-class citizens in their country, while others are fast-tracked for accommodation and support, is a recipe for disaster, resentment and disruption. We never want a repeat of the riots we saw a while back.

Ireland absolutely has obligations under the European Union and we must remain a welcoming nation, but not by sidelining our own vulnerable people in the process. It is not about either-or; it is about fairness for all. I join Senator Crowe in urging that the Minister be asked to come to the House to discuss how the Government will ensure parity of treatment for all and that decisions made at European level do not fracture the social fabric we work so hard to mend every night in places like the Lighthouse Cafe.