International protection and GP tax rules
The Taoiseach responds that rising international protection numbers are changing communities and the economy, including in places like Killarney. He also says the GP tax issue is being worked on by Health and Revenue, and that there is extensive ongoing EU-level contact on Gaza.
I thank the Deputies for their questions. Deputy Healy-Rae raised the issue of the large number of people seeking international protection who are being housed all over the country, in small towns, big towns and cities. I know how challenging it is that so many people have come from abroad seeking international protection, with approximately 10,000 each year now, up from only 3,000 a year a few years ago. That is challenging. It is changing the demographics of some small towns and villages and even some parts of this city. It is also affecting the economy. I get that and understand it. It would be totally dishonest, however, to say to people it is possible to put a cap on the number of people who come to one's country seeking international protection. President Trump built a wall but was not able to do it. One of the reasons the UK left the European Union was so that it could control its borders but it is seeing record numbers of people arriving now on boats. Italy elected a Government that promised to crack down on immigration but in the past few weeks more people landed on Lampedusa than live on the island. It is not realistic to think it is possible to put a cap on the number of people who might arrive in one's country seeking international protection, especially when one sees what is going on in the world. All we can do is try to manage it better and that is what we are trying to do.
Comment on this
We have our share in Killarney. We have our part done.
Comment on this
On Deputy Smith's question on the Revenue decision relating to GPs, I am aware of it. While I am not a practising GP, I know a lot of them and am aware of the issue. It is a problem and we need to find a solution to it. The Department of Health and the Revenue Commissioners are working on exactly that.
Deputy Whitmore mentioned the next meeting of the European Council is not until 14 December, but there are other meetings happening and there is a lot of bilateral contact under way, led by me and the Tánaiste, with other governments and international groups.
As regards the patent court, responsibility for that falls to the Minister, Deputy Coveney. We do not have a definite date for the referendum on that but it is pencilled in for June next year, concurrent with the local and European elections. That is subject to a Government decision, however.