Migration pact and hate speech legislation
Mattie McGrath accused the Government of hiding migration pact, hate speech and WHO pandemic treaty debates until after the elections. Paul Murphy briefly interjected, and McGrath then highlighted the absence of debate on international protection accommodation such as the Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir cases.
I raised again last week the migration treaty not being scheduled for debate here today. We tried on the Business Committee to have it included. There is time on the schedule, so the Government is deliberately hiding and burying the migration pact until after the local and European elections because it is getting it on the chin everywhere. It is the same situation with the hate speech legislation. That is also buried until after the election. Of course, the Government will not even mention the WHO pandemic treaty, which is being derailed, no thanks to the Government because it gladly went along with it. Why is the Government trying to evade debate in this House about a burning issue that is out there for everybody who is knocking on any door or going near any area canvassing? It is the number one issue, as polls have shown.
Comment on this
No, they have not.
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We have a situation now in Clonmel, Carrick-on-Suir and Dundrum House Hotel, which was housing Ukrainians, with 60 international protection applicants going in there now as well. All over the country, in every town, village and hamlet, this is going on and the Government will not debate it in this House. We have had two debates thanks to our Private Members' time, one lot of statements and no other debate about it here in the past 15 months.