I rise today to speak on the state of the immigration debate in Ireland or, more accurately, the debate about having a debate. It is progress, but not enough. In one breath, we are told to tread carefully when discussing the origins of the rapist of the ten-year-old girl in Citywest because the case is ongoing, but in the next-----

You have to be careful in your language.

Yes, I am not going to mention anything.

You have said it as a fact as opposed to an allegation. I just want you to be clear.

Thank you. But in the next breath, TDs fall over themselves to denounce the phantom far right in connection with the horrific burning of an IPAS centre in Drogheda only for it to emerge that the alleged arsonists were linked to organised crime and the attack was likely part of a gang feud.

Many in the so-called Opposition were quick to point fingers at the Government for even hinting that immigration levels might be too high, accusing Ministers of pandering to the extremists. One Member even claimed there was a direct line between those comments and the arson attack.

I say there is another direct line: a line between those who have disempowered our Garda and the rise of gangland violence, or a line between the chronic underfunding of law enforcement and the growth of organised crime. There is a link between sticking our heads in the sand and migration making the crisis worse, because like it or not, there is a link between migration and crime. Many become uncomfortable hearing it but it is a fact. The Government withholds Irish data from us, but it makes no difference. We already have decades of data from across Europe and the results are clear. Unmanaged migration has resulted in increased crime levels in France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. Do I need to go on?

If we lived in a stable, prosperous and well-managed nation, it would be fair to have a discussion weighing this danger of migration against its potential benefits to our economy, but we do not live in such a nation. We live in a nation where there is a crisis in crime, a crisis in housing, a crisis in the cost of living and a crisis in government services. Into this mess we throw open borders to effectively unlimited numbers of unvetted arrivals and expect nothing to go wrong. In fact, we could go further and denounce anyone who warns that things will go wrong. This is not irresponsible; this is total and utter suicidal insanity.

Dear colleagues, it is time to talk seriously about what are the real problems and solutions in this nation. If people in these Houses and the media are too busy trying to feel good about themselves, then it pains me deeply to say they will create the very crisis they claim they want to avoid. There will be more stabbings, rapes, arson attacks and riots. In here, people will keep wasting their breath accusing each other of being far right, so please, let us have a debate on immigration.