An Taoiseach Simon Harris has criticised Deputy Mattie McGrath for what he described as his “Trumpian” comments on migration, after the Tipperary TD said that calls for a debate on the issue had fallen on deaf ears.
The heated exchange in the Dáil came the government slashed welfare allowances for all Ukrainians from €232 per week to €38.80. Following today’s cabinet decision, it is estimated that roughly 27,000 Ukranians will receive the substantially reduced payments within three months.
During a speech on Tuesday, Tipperary TD McGrath said that the government had only chosen to address the issue of migration, following calls for debate, and only because the migration issue had “arrived in the leafy suburbs of Dublin 4.”
Gardaí attended a private park in Ballsbridge, along with other locations in Dublin 4 last week after groups of asylum seekers pitched tents for the night.
“Taoiseach, I’m addressing you but I’m addressing my remarks to all the party leaders, who eventually, finally, have woken up.
“They were part of the problem all along [in] the last 12 months – not allowing debate, not wanting debate, shutting down debate, and name-calling people who were looking for debate [such as] myself and my colleagues in the Rural Independents,” Deputy McGrath said today.
The Independent also accused RTE of being a “mouthpiece” for government, as he claimed ordinary people had been consistently ignored on the migration issue.
“But now, because it’s arrived in the leafy suburbs of Dublin 4, where the’re putting up tents and fencing to keep people out.
“When ordinary people in Rosscrea, when ordinary people in Newtownmountkennedy, and all over the country, in Clonmel now, attempted to have a protest – peaceful protest – and put up some small barricades (not barricades as such like you have, the power of the State – they were demonised and blaggarded and condemned by everybody here, and indeed your mouthpieces in RTE and others. So now you have it, you won’t have a debate.
He continued: “I want the Minister of Justice in here. You can shake your head all you like, it’s fact. And you have the support of all the parties in here, every one of them. And now it’s the local elections and the European elections, you’re getting it in the face.
“And you don’t want it, [but] now it’s a problem you have to deal with because it’s hurting you. So, you wouldn’t deal with it all along – you wouldn’t even have a debate in this chamber. A plague on all your houses.”
In response, Taoiseach Simon Harris said it was “not legitimate” for members of the House to say things that “are completely offensive, and Trumpian, in fact.”
“When you say things like ‘mouthpieces in media,’ when you say things like ‘there hasn’t been a debate in this House,’ that’s just untrue, Deputy.
“There have been many, many, many debates. So for the old social media clip, you stand up and you slur the media. You call them mouthpieces, because, you know, that’s kind of Trumpian. You get a few likes in America, a few retweets, and then you say there’s been no debates.”
The Taoiseach insisted that “many members of the opposition have asked for debate in relation to migration,” and that he was “happy for there to be a debate in this house in relation to migration.”
Minister Harris denied it was “a question of abject failure” regarding government policy, as he admitted: “We’ve seen international protection numbers rise very significantly.”
“We’re having to build systems in real time to respond to that situation. I’m very satisfied that a number of the actions that we’ve taken today are very much that whole of government joined up approach that we want.”
Mr Harris added that he had “no difficulty” with a debate on housing for all being scheduled, adding: “The government has an awful lot that it wishes to say in relation to the progress being made in relation to housing.”
Deputy McGrath has previously said it is little wonder people were losing their confidence in the government, due to a lack of debate on immigration.
In December, the Rural Independent Group used their slot in the Dáil’ to force a debate on the issue of immigration, with McGrath saying at the time that the conversation was being had “everywhere but in the Dáil.”
Speaking in Brussels on Monday, the Taoiseach said that the full range of supports provided to refugees and asylum seekers, including accommodation for those allowed to remain in the State, was to be reviewed.
More than 5,600 people who have been granted permission to remain in Ireland following a successful asylum application remain in the direct provision system.
“Ireland benefits from migration. Immigration is a good thing, but at the same time we have to make sure that our system is working, that our system is efficient and effective and meets a common sense test,” he told reporters.