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The EU Migration Pact has been “buried conveniently” and is “being guillotined,” the Dáil has heard, ahead of a five-hour debate on the legislation, set to take place next week.
Tipperary Independent Mattie McGrath made the comments on Thursday, claiming that “there is a guillotine,” and that a “deceitful” approach had been taken.
It is not the first time the TD, an opponent of the divisive EU pact, has claimed there is an active effort to limit debate on the Bill and expedite the passage of the legislation.
The Irish Times has since reported that the government will opt into the pact next week. The legislation will require international protection applicants to be processed within a three to six month timeframe, along with the establishment of designated accommodation centres, and fingerprinting and photographing of both child and adult applicants.
The newspaper said that it understood that an implementation plan for the contentious EU deal will be produced in November.
Full repeal of the International Protection Act 2015 will begin next week, with a raft of new heads of Bills expected from the autumn, the paper reports.
Addressing Minister Michael McGrath, Deputy Mattie McGrath said: “I have just come from a Business Committee meeting to be told that the EU migration pact, which was buried conveniently and in a deceitful manner for the election will now be discussed in the House next Tuesday in a five-hour debate with a guillotine at the end of it. This is shocking.
“We have also been told today the pact has been ratified in Europe. There is trouble all over the country and the Minister, as one of the more reasonable Ministers in the Government, might be able to do something about this,” Deputy McGrath told the Finance Minister.
Raising questions about ongoing protests in Clonmel, the local TD continued:
“There have been awful goings on in Heywood Road in Clonmel and we have the situation in Dundrum House Hotel. There has been no engagement whatsoever. Then we have Rathcabbin and Borrisokane, the second of which was the model for how to integrate Ukrainians and now it is in turmoil again.
“There has been absolutely no consultation from the Department of integration – none whatsoever – in Clonmel or with regard to Dundrum House Hotel.
“There is a failure to get information, meetings or to get any answers through the public representatives. It is a shocking situation that is going on in County Tipperary today.”
Responding, Minister McGrath said he was not aware of the outcome of the Business Committee’s deliberations but said that “the Government is anxious to provide as much time as possible to debate the EU asylum and migration pact.”
“There is a guillotine,” McGrath replied. Replying, McGrath added:
“There are different perspectives on this across the House and we acknowledge that, and the Government deems it is in Ireland’s national interest to be part of an EU-wide system with an EU-wide agreement. The Deputy holds a different view and there will be ample opportunity to air those views.”
“It is being guillotined,” McGrath repeated.
On Thursday, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD represented Ireland at a meeting of EU Home Affairs Ministers held in Luxembourg.
Topics discussed at the meeting included the implementation of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact and the extension of the protection of the Temporary Protection Directive for Ukrainians.
Minister McEntee, in her speech to Ministers, said that political agreement on the extension of the Temporary Protection Directive until March 2026 – which is to be formally adopted at a later date – was “an important demonstration of continued solidarity and support for Ukraine at a time when innocent civilians including children and vulnerable persons continue to be displaced from their homes as a direct result of ongoing Russian aggression.”
“A decision to extend for one further year will also provide some much-needed certainty to beneficiaries of temporary protection who are currently residing in the EU,” she said, adding:
“Ireland supports a harmonised EU-wide approach to exiting temporary protection, so that when temporary protection does end, it does so consistently and appropriately across the EU. Ireland remains supportive of the European Commission’s role in leading the dialogue on exit strategies.”
Referring to the controversial EU migration and asylum pact, the Justice Minister pledged to seek Dáil and Seanad approval for the deal “shortly” and would soon begin preparing Irish legislation in line with the pact.
“The EU Migration and Asylum Pact will strengthen the external border of the EU. It will provide for mandatory processing times, accelerated processing for certain people, better screening at EU borders, access to EU databases for security checks, and easier returns of those who don’t have a right to be here.
“Following the Government’s decision to opt into the Pact, I will shortly seek Dail and Seanad approval. Subject to motions being passed in both houses, I will begin preparing Irish legislation.”
On Wednesday, the EU presented a ten-part strategic plan to implement the EU Migration Pact. They said the new legislation will go into effect by mid-2026.
Adopted by the EU in May, the incoming laws aim to share out responsibility for migration and asylum across the bloc, while pledging to tighten the rules for applicants hoping to gain protection in a European country.
The plan is based on “ten building blocks” which the EU said in a press release will “focus and facilitate implementation efforts.”
“Today we go from word to action, with a common goal; to implement what we have agreed on,” Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, said at a press conference this week.
“With the common implementation plan, we move to operational and pragmatic implementation to make a difference on the ground.”
Margaritis Schinas, Vice President for Promoting our European Way of Life at the European Commission, said the rollout would be “a blueprint for the next two years… to make the pact on migration and asylum a reality on the ground.”
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