EU migration pact
Deputy Lawless argued that the EU migration pact would surrender border control and impose costs and fines on Ireland. The Taoiseach dismissed the claims as misinformation, said the International Protection Act provides a fair and robust system, and repeatedly rejected the Deputy’s criticisms.
The EU migration pact was passed in the Dáil by just seven votes and within six months, 35 TDs had either retired or lost their seats. Ireland is not in Schengen. Ireland shares a common travel area with Britain and we are an island nation. We have every right to control and manage our own borders. Yet, in June 2024 the Government voted to surrender that control. It handed decision-making over to the EU in terms of who can enter Ireland, how claims are processed and even the potential fines we will face. This pact was not designed for Ireland. It was not designed for our geography or, indeed, our housing crisis or public services crisis. Incredibly, the Tánaiste cannot outline to the Dáil-----
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-----what this is going to cost in terms of fines.
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The Deputy is confused on this one; there is no question about that. The International Protection Act 2026 has been introduced by this Dáil and supported by this Dáil. It will provide a very fair, sustainable, efficient and robust asylum procedure. It will also result in faster dealing with applications and appeals that may be made against those decisions. It will be much faster. It also enables us to return asylum seekers who need to go back to the place where their asylum application originated in Europe. This is strengthening laws in respect of asylum seeking and no amount of shallow, empty soundbites that are used against this legislation will sustain. This is, again, part of a wider agenda to try to instil fear and misinformation.
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It is handing over control to Europe of how they are being processed.
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We had a protocol and we could have opted out.