Taoiseach Micheál Martin has rejected claims that his Government sought to suppress debate on immigration.
Speaking to Gript outside Government Buildings ahead of this morning’s Cabinet meeting, Martin was asked about claims by Tánaiste Simon Harris that politicians “on the Left” often try to shut down any legitimate criticism of migration policy.
“WE FACILITATED DEBATE”
Asked if he accepted that his own Government had played a role in this, Martin said he didn’t.
“I mean, as far as I’m concerned, we facilitated debate,” he said.
“I facilitate debate all of the time. I engage in debate.”
He added: “I think migration has been an issue for people, but let’s be clear: migration has been positive as well in the overall sense of the country.”
MIGRATION SHOULD NOT BE LOOKED AT “IN A NEGATIVE WAY”
He specifically pointed to the health service, the tech sector, and European Union migrant workers as examples of immigration providing a “very significant benefit to inward investment into the country.”
“So migration must be looked at comprehensively and not in a negative way,” he said.
“We haven’t been trying to stifle debate on migration, but what we have been doing is trying to create the context for a proper debate, an informed debate.
“And also to be very clear that there can be no tolerance for any hostility or anger, or indeed violence, against people because of ethnic backgrounds. We make no apology for being very forthright in respect of that issue.”
He said that he had met Irish citizens who had faced “aggression” because of their ethnic background, saying that this is “not good enough,” and that this is “not the true values of the Irish people.”
However, he added: “There’s no issue about having a broad debate on these matters.”
THE POPULATION OF IRELAND IS “GROWING VERY SIGNIFICANTLY”
Asked during the same exchange if he agreed with Simon Harris’ comments that migration numbers in general are too high, Martin said that the Irish population is “growing very significantly”.
“There is a realistic debate to be had there,” he said, adding: “But that doesn’t just relate to asylum seeking more generally.”
He said that population growth had been the “most significant factor” over the past decade in terms of impact on services, but said that a growing population was actually a “positive.”
“We’re now nearly back to pre-Famine population numbers,” he said.
“It’s taken that long for Ireland to recover from something that happened in the mid-19th century.”
However, he acknowledged that there needed to be “reforms” around the way Ireland processes asylum seekers, re-iterating his previous statement that “a majority” of asylum claimants in Ireland are “coming here for economic reasons”, and are not genuine asylum seekers fleeing imminent danger or conflict.