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LAST UPDATE | 4 Nov
LEFT-WING OPPOSITION parties have rounded on the Tánaiste over his comments on migration recently.
Last week, Simon Harris said that when migration is discussed people “on the left try to shut down that debate”.
He also said that the general migration figures, outside of asylum applications, were “too high”.
He doubled down on those comments this morning, telling reporters on his way into Cabinet that some people wanted to “shut down debate” on the matter.
There is “a limit” to what Ireland can do for immigrants, the Tanaiste said.
“The conversation about migration isn’t just about international protection, it’s about our population growth in general.
“Roughly speaking, for every 10,000 people who come into our country, around 3,000 more homes are needed.
“So let’s actually have a rational, calm informed debate that doesn’t seek to label people, shout them down and box them into certain positions. This is not left or right, this is about having a commonsense, evidence-based policy,” he said.
Asked if he stood by the remarks he made last week, he said:
“Absolutely, and I think it’s quite extraordinary how many people want to shut down debate. Actually, many people don’t. The Irish people want to know that their Government is putting in place a system that is fair.
“Let me be really clear: Migration is a good thing. I said that last part when I made the comments. There are parts of our public services that would fall over were it not for people coming to our country and contributing.”
Harris said it is also a good thing to have a system that has rules and a system that makes sure there’s common sense and social cohesion.
Speaking to the media on the Leinster House plinth this morning, Drogheda-based Labour TD Ged Nash said nobody has any issue with debate, but the Tánaiste has to be “much more careful with the language he uses”.
He added that it is “quite extraordinary” that the government decided to bring “half-baked memos” about charging asylum seekers for accommodation to a Cabinet sub-committee yesterday in the wake of the arson attack on asylum seeker accommodation in Drogheda on Friday night.
“That, putting it diplomatically, lacks class,” Nash said.
Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan is also facing questions for his initial statement on the arson attack, in which he said the fire had been started by someone throwing a firework into the building.
CCTV footage that was subsequently released showed a man entering the property and pouring accelerant on stairs before starting a fire.
Asked about O’Callaghan’s initial statement, Nash said “we need to know where that come from”.
He said that it was clear to him on Saturday morning that the information in Mr O’Callaghan’s statement was “manifestly wrong”, adding that it had caused confusion.
Green Party TD and former Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman said we are “not seeing leadership from the government” right now in relation to immigration.
He said the government can choose to speak “honestly and factually” on migration or “make poorly judged generalisations” and “risk stoking fears”.
Meanwhile, Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said the government is following the playbook of Nigel Farage and Donald Trump when it comes to immigration.
“Rather than actually owning some responsibility, they point to migrants in this country and say they’re to blame. They’re not to blame,” he said, referring to issues with housing and public services shortages.
“The blame lies squarely at the hands of a government who have lost control of the capacity to manage, so what they’re trying to reclaim is the capacity to frame a narrative. It is disgusting, it is cowardly,” he said.
Elsewhere, Independent Ireland TD Ken O’Flynn said he was “absolutely appalled by what Gary Gannon said” on the plinth.
He claimed Gannon tried to “shut down debate” by “making accusations about people”.
“There are genuine concerns from the Irish people at the moment,” O’Flynn said, claiming, without evidence, that there has been an increase in crime because of refugees.
Responding to this, Gannon said O’Flynn “seemed annoyed” because “Simon Harris is stealing his talking points”.
“He should take it up with the Tánaiste’s office,” he added.
Leaders’ Questions was also dominated by the discussion on migration, with Labour’s Ivana Bacik and Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns criticising the comments made by Harris.
Cairns told the Dáil that the comments were “irresponsible and reprehensible”. She accused the government of adopting a deliberate strategy of portraying asylum seekers as scammers of the system, something Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers wholly rejected.
Chambers defended the government’s approach, stating that everybody should be able to have a broader debate on what system of migration Ireland has.
“We should be able to have a mature debate on what system we have,” he said.
Bacik agreed that a debate on policy should happen, but said it must be fact-based, accusing the Tánaiste of irresponsible comments.
An “open and honest debate about migration policy” must be allowed, including a discussion around the “push and pull factors”, said Chambers.
Yesterday, the Irish Refugee Council criticised comments about immigration by the Tánaiste as “careless”.
Nick Henderson said it’s an “incredibly fragile” period given the Citywest riots last month, adding that senior ministers should be careful with their language when discussing immigration.
Speaking about the new system that will see international protection applicants who have jobs pay a contribution towards their accommodation, Harris said it was a measure that the government flagged last year, stating it “needs to happen more quickly”.
Harris also spoke about the decision by government to cut the length of time Ukrainian refugees arriving in Ireland can stay in State accommodation from 90 days to 30.
He said there had been a significant increase in the number of people coming from Ukraine, which has been attributed to a change of law in that country, which eased travel restrictions for men aged 18 to 22.
“There is a limit to what this country can do, and therefore you have to respond with pragmatism.”
Responding to this, Roderic O’Gorman said cutting the length of time Ukrainian refugees are given State accommodation is “basically the end of temporary protection”.
He said 30 days was not long enough for a person to establish themselves in the country and added:
“As long as there’s a war ongoing in Ukraine, there has to be some element where people who really need accommodation to be supported here in Ireland. And I think what they’re proposing to do there, reduce it to 30 days basically, in all respects, ends that.”
On the separate plans to charge asylum seekers for accommodation, O’Gorman said he does not believe that will make “any difference” to capacity in the system.
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