Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)

The first line of this motion acknowledges Irish people emigrated to places throughout the world in times of famine and, more recently, in times of economic difficulty. We must always acknowledge that those people proved their worth. They got involved in the communities they moved to and respected the rules of the countries they moved to. We must acknowledge that also.

Here in Ireland, migration plays a crucial role in the economy. Thousands of people come here to work. One in five has come to study and support our essential services. The truth is that we need them. If we want to deliver on national policies like Housing for All or Delivering Homes, Building Communities, we need the skilled workers our construction sector is crying out for. If we want functioning hospitals and nursing homes, strong multinationals and a competitive economy, we need the nurses, carers, technicians, engineers and specialists who choose to come to Ireland. Migrants contribute to this country every single day. Our economic progress depends on a system that allows them to enter and work in Ireland without unnecessary delay.

Right now, processing times for visas and immigration permissions are far too slow. That is not fair on employers and communities, and it is certainly not fair on genuine applicants who are left in limbo. That is why I am calling for serious investment in staffing and systems so we can dramatically reduce the timelines for processing visa and immigration applications. Efficiency is not harsh. It is humane, responsible and respectful.

At the same time, we cannot ignore perception. Ireland is a warm and welcoming country – long may that continue – but there is a growing sense internationally that Ireland is the place to go. In some cases, there is a kind of “treasure Ireland” mentality, the view being that arriving here guarantees a soft system or outcome. We need to be gentle but we clearly need to nip this perception in the bud. Compassion does not mean a lack of structure, and that is why we need a firm and secure migration framework. That means stronger border checks, increased use of fingerprints and photographic evidence to verify identity, faster decisions for people arriving with false or no documentation, and accelerated processing for applicants from safe countries. If someone has already been refused international protection in another EU state, their case should move through an accelerated inadmissibility process. This is not about being harsh; it is about protecting the integrity of the system so it works for those who genuinely need it, and for the Irish people who rely on its being credible and efficient.

This motion is about getting the balance right – firm when needed and fair at all times. Migration brings huge value to Ireland but we need a system that is quicker, clearer and more secure. Let us invest in it and restore confidence in it. Let us build a migration system that reflects the very best of Ireland: compassion, responsibility and efficiency.

I thank the Minister for providing information so that we are able to nip in the bud false, unsubstantiated information spread throughout our constituencies by certain elements to create hatred in relation to IPAS centres.