Members will have seen reporting this morning of the comments by the Minister for justice at the Institute of International and European Affairs about a case currently before the Court of Justice of the European Union and its expected outcome. In short, he advised that the likely outcome is that asylum seekers will soon be entitled to damages from the State for its failure to provide them with accommodation, while Irish homeless people and homeless people from other EU member states will have no such right. As the Minister pointed out, this will be very difficult to justify to Irish citizens and, indeed, citizens of any EU member state.

The expected outcome of this case sounds like lunacy. It will be deeply problematic and will only cause anger and frustration among our people. Ireland has faced unprecedented pressure in terms of asylum applications while trying to deal with existing shortfalls in housing. Despite that, the State has continued to act responsibly in dealing with asylum applications. There are Irish citizens experiencing homelessness and waiting on social housing lists. Those people have no entitlement to compensation. For asylum applicants to be given additional rights over them is incredibly unjust. If the case is decided as expected, it will be an example of the people who make decisions being so far removed from the practical implications of those decisions as to make them blind to what justice actually is.

Hear, hear.

The decision will not be finalised until September at the earliest. We need an urgent debate on this topic after the recess. I would be grateful if the Leader would request that the Minister for justice come to the House to talk through the issue in depth as soon as possible.

I read a disturbing article on thejournal.ie this morning about 13 Oireachtas broadcast workers who will have to sign on the dole next week. I want to know what the situation is in that regard.

I reiterate the deep concern expressed by my colleague Senator Crowe regarding the upcoming ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union. As he noted, the suggestion is that asylum seekers arriving in Ireland could have stronger entitlements to State support than do Irish citizens who are homeless. I have mentioned many times my involvement in the Lighthouse Cafe on Pearse Street, where we feed people of all nationalities who are experiencing homelessness, including Irish people, asylum seekers, etc. They eat, sing and play bingo together. It is a wonderful place where there is no division. It is a space where dignity, unity and compassion are shared in equal measure.

The suggested ruling risks undoing the delicate balance we have created. It will not just affect housing policy but also social cohesion. The perception, right or wrong, that Irish people are treated as second-class citizens in their country, while others are fast-tracked for accommodation and support, is a recipe for disaster, resentment and disruption. We never want a repeat of the riots we saw a while back.

Ireland absolutely has obligations under the European Union and we must remain a welcoming nation, but not by sidelining our own vulnerable people in the process. It is not about either-or; it is about fairness for all. I join Senator Crowe in urging that the Minister be asked to come to the House to discuss how the Government will ensure parity of treatment for all and that decisions made at European level do not fracture the social fabric we work so hard to mend every night in places like the Lighthouse Cafe.