“It’s extremely difficult, actually, to get into this country…we need workers,” presidential candidate Catherine Connolly has said, as both she and Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys reacted to the Citywest riot during the final presidential debate.
The exchange took place on RTÉ on Tuesday evening in the final debate of the campaign ahead of Friday’s vote, where the candidates were questioned about immigration and the violent unrest in Saggart. Connolly said that “we need immigrants in this country,” while Humphreys told viewers that Ireland requires people to “work in our hospitals” and other sectors.
Humphreys said she wanted to use the presidency to “bring people together” and warned that the disorder in Dublin was “absolutely horrific.”
“There are men and women of An Garda Síochána…being attacked and missiles are being thrown at them,” she said.
“This is wrong. This is not what we are as a country.”
She said that she wanted to “break down those preconceived prejudices, those notions that people have in their head.”
The former minister went on to say that Ireland requires migrant labour, but insisted that those without a legal right to stay should be removed from the State.
“We need immigrants in this country,” she said.
“We need workers here…for those people who shouldn’t be here, who are coming here illegally, we need to process them quickly…they need to go back to their own countries.”
Connolly said she found reports from the scene “very, very upsetting” and argued that political leadership was needed in response to the situation.
“We’re a country of welcomes,” she said.
“It’s extremely difficult actually to get into this country…you have to get a work permit and you go through the hoops to get it. So we need workers.”
The Independent TD also told viewers that different issues were being “conflated” in public debate, saying her first thoughts were with the girl at the centre of the case that triggered the protests.
Rioting broke out in Saggart on Tuesday after widespread anger at reports of the alleged rape of a 10-year-old girl at the Citywest IPAS centre, as covered by the Irish Mirror this week.
An adult male asylum seeker has been charged in connection with the incident, and Gardaí have launched a full investigation.
According to The Irish Times, the accused had been refused international protection last year and was subject to a deportation order.
Glass bottles, bricks and fireworks were thrown at Gardaí on Tuesday night, with vehicles torched and riot units deployed.
Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan condemned the scenes before the debate, saying the violence was “unacceptable” and would result in prosecutions. He also claimed there was “no correlation” between IPAS centres and crime levels.
The controversy follows years of public concern over immigration policy, repeated protests outside accommodation centres, and ongoing criticism of the asylum system.