Mattie McGrath Criticises EU Migration Deal and Domestic Response
Mattie McGrath criticised the government's handling of an EU migration deal, arguing Ireland is being pushed into unfair obligations and left without recourse. He urged tighter controls on non-war arrivals, called for a referendum, and accused ministers of passivity and hypocrisy.
Main criticisms
McGrath said the State has been passive and too ready to follow directives from the EU - "sleepwalking into a deal" that could impose severe fines and remove recourse to justice. He told the minister, relatively new in the role, that ministers should be ashamed for not representing the people and democracy on this issue.
Concerns about arrivals and enforcement
He warned against letting Ireland become the "soft fall guy" for people arriving from countries where no war is taking place, noting arrivals at Dublin Airport with no passports. McGrath called for tougher measures, including returning those with no paperwork and engaging airlines to prevent unsuitable travel into the State.
Numbers, accommodation and welfare
McGrath said the Irish people had shown willingness to take in refugees voluntarily, but highlighted overcrowding and mistreatment - people "sleeping in tents" and being moved repeatedly. He referenced public figures mentioned in debate of "up to 200,000" and said he could not accept a cap of 30,000 for the first day without proper capacity.
Acknowledgement of tightened checks and past figures
He acknowledged that some tightening of controls has taken place and welcomed it, citing a previous figure of 3,150 arrivals in the first three months of 2021 as an example of earlier issues. He warned that any easing of those controls must not happen.
Democratic process and MEP votes
McGrath said he has called for a referendum on the matter but felt ignored, describing a culture where the issue is not openly debated. He also criticised MEPs who, he said, say one thing locally but voted in favour of the measure in Brussels, suggesting public posturing does not match votes in Europe.
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Sorry I wasn't here for the earlier speaker's delivery of what went on, but I don't know what goes on in these meetings. I'm not very happy with what goes on, because we seem to be passive, we seem to be dumb, we seem to be just nodding at everything they were told to do by the EU, whether it was farming, whether it was the fishing industry. I've been wiped out over the decades. Minister Book, you're relatively new in there, and goodness knows we miss you at your last position. I do anyway, as you're a Minister of State. This job out there, so I hope you won't be able to just to make up the space, because why do Poland, and why do Hungary have to be the outliers here, looking for justice and fairness? We all know there's a war going on, but our environment of that war is getting heavier and heavier and deeper and deeper, and we see now the cluster bombs being put in there. But why are we sleepwalking into a deal where if we don't, and are unable to take, and unable is the word, because the Irish people have shown how willing and able they are to take in people, and did it, and did it voluntary, in the spirit of the male, but now our government says, just keep sending them in. Teeshuk tarnished, they tarnished the teeshuk, in different times, both gentlemen have said, up to 200,000. Simply we can't look after them, and they've been mistreated, and sleeping in tents, and sleeping in different places, and been moved from here to there, and everything else. But the fact that we could now, be made pay, severe fines, without any recourse to justice, or any recourse to, because we signed up to this. Ministers, you should be ashamed of yourself. You're supposed to represent the Republic of Ireland, and our people, and our democracy. Where is the democracy? I have called for a referendum on this issue, but of course it's felt on deaf ears. There's a kind of a non-allowed, unwritten rule here, we can't talk about this. Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil. We can't even mention it in this chamber. We have to get real, and look after our people here. Look after certainly our general refugees that come here, to the best of our ability, with numbers, I can't for a cap of 30,000 for the first day. And then, I do see lately, and I must acknowledge that, a tightening up, and the issues of where they're coming in with no passports, from different parts of the world, non-war-torn, and it was a racket. I read it here two years ago, 3,150 in the first three months of 2021. And that is tightened up, I welcome that, but it can't be eased off again. We can't be just the soft fall guys to take people from no war at all going on, the countries that are peaceful countries coming in, no paperwork, arriving in Dublin airport, they should be on the same plane going back, or we should find the airlines and do something to try and control that. So Minister, I am very disappointed with what goes on at European level. We have the vote today of course again with political parties here posturing and their groups in Europe posturing what they were going to do. Yet all our Fine Gael MEPs out of San Martin and voted for this. They say one thing for the people on the ground and do a different thing in Brussels. You'll be found out very soon.
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