Local opposition politicians have criticised the government’s rhetoric on immigration.
On Wednesday (Oct 29) Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris told RTÉ “our migration numbers are too high, and I think that is really an issue that needs to be considered in a very serious way by the government.”
“One of the reasons I think they are so high is that there are too many people who come to this country and are told they do not have a right to be here, and it is taking too long for them to leave the country.”
The Fine Gael leader said “I think we have to be honest, we have to listen to the people of this country, who I believe are saying to us we used to live in a country where 2,000 to 3,000 people sought international protection each year.
“That number has gone to in or around 20,000; that is a very, very significant increase, and it is too high,” he said.
Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin concurred, saying that Ireland should look to tighten its immigration laws and did not rule out using the controversial practice of sending failed asylum seekers to deportation hubs outside the European Union (or better known as “offshore deportation hubs.”)
Martin, who has come under pressure as Fianna Fáil leader following last week’s Presidential election, said that Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan (seen as the most likely candidate to succeed Martin) has put out a message to would-be asylum seekers.
“I think the message has gone out. If you don’t qualify and you know you’re not going to qualify, don’t bother coming,” he said on Thursday (Oct 30).
Local Fine Gael TD and Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said that while Ireland’s current immigration system was important from an economic standpoint, he told RTÉ “we are making progress” on the issue of immigration.
“The numbers of people who are coming, seeking international protection, has grown, and we are all working on how we can handle that in the most effective way possible,” he said.
The Dublin Central TD added, “we need to ensure that the rules are being implemented and enforced in the way we all want.”
The government’s perceived shift on immigration has been regarded as a reaction to the high number of spoiled votes in last week’s presidential election, a move which has been roundly criticised by Northside opposition members Gary Gannon and Aodhán Ó Ríordain.
Gannon said that Harris’ comments were closer to those of Nigel Farage than the leader of Fine Gael.
The Social Democrats TD, who also serves as the party spokesperson on justice, home affairs and migration, said “we need a fact-based argument, and he (Harris) is effectively just speaking as if he’s a commentator rather than someone who’s supposed to legislate.”
Gannon said that Harris needs to be “a hell of a lot more careful” with regard to how he discusses immigration matters.
Taking part in an RTÉ radio panel, Gannon noted that Harris could have pointed to actual statistics instead of shooting from the hip.
“He could have said the numbers this year have also decreased by 40% from last year. He could have talked about the absolute failures in the system that he’s presided over for 10 years and how he was going to address them,” a reference to how Fine Gael held the Minister for Justice brief from March 2011 until January 2025 and are now criticising the system they controlled for over a decade.
Gannon said, “we have a management crisis in this country and Simon Harris is fairly much to the fore of responsibility for that.”
In April, Gannon said that new rules laid down by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, which will make it unlawful for asylum application decisions or appeal decisions to take longer than three months, were “chasing headlines, caving to far-right pressure, and abandoning our obligations to basic fairness and human rights.”
At the time, Gannon said that the government were under political pressure and resorted to “scapegoating the vulnerable when they had no viable solutions; it’s the oldest trick in the book.”
Fine Gael TD Barry Ward was taking part in the same debate, and said that Harris’ comments were “absolutely factually correct”.
The Southside TD said, “he (Harris) has identified the fact that we do have massive pressure on our migration system, there’s no disputing that.”
“What we also have is a huge investment in that system, and we have massively reduced the waiting times for the processing of applications, which makes it easier to deal with people coming here seeking a chance.”
Ward said, “the Department is not nearly frank enough with people in local communities about what’s happening. We need to speed up the times, we need to be more effective in terms of when deportation orders have been made, that people are not remaining here for months and months and months, that those orders are given effect.”
The Southside TD also said that if the “debate” around immigration is to be had, ministers and TDs should be able to express their views.
Gannon asserted that Harris was making the comments in the wake of the Presidential election, which saw a resounding defeat for his party, and was now “trying to go down the Nigel Farage route.”
Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said “the Tánaiste’s comments on immigration are disgraceful, particularly in their timing.”
“We have been calling for a government public awareness campaign on immigration to tackle misinformation for months, and yet, the government does nothing. What we get is a populist outburst from someone who is pandering to the lowest common denominator.”
“Rioters and racist protesters can now point to the Fine Gael leader who agrees with them,” the MEP remarked.
Ó Ríordáin dubbed the Tánaiste’s comments as “disgraceful and extremely dangerous.”
“Political leaders have a responsibility to choose their words carefully. When the Tánaiste says ‘numbers are too high’, it sends a message that the government itself is buying into divisive rhetoric. It is reckless, harmful, and beneath the office he holds.”
The Labour MEP said, “the reality is that migration is essential for our public services, our economy, and our communities. Migrant workers keep our hospitals running, our food produced, and our homes built. It is not good enough to issue statements saying that ‘immigration is good’ while adopting language that undermines that message.”
“People hear the dog-whistle – and it has real-world consequences for those who have made Ireland their home.”
This week’s publication discusses how the left came together to back Catherine Connolly in her bid for the Áras and how it may lead to future left-wing co-operation in future elections, but comments from Sinn Féin’s immigration spokesperson Matt Carthy reveal a major difference in opinion on major issues such as immigration.
Carthy said, “the Tánaiste’s remarks acknowledge what Sinn Féin have been saying for years – that the international protection system is still not working.”
“Decisions are still taking far too long. Deportations are not being tracked or enforced. A small number of people have made millions as a result of profiteering from the provision of IPAS accommodation. This has all happened on Simon Harris’ watch.”
Carthy said, “as usual, Simon Harris is speaking like a commentator rather than someone who has been at the heart of the governments that have overseen this mess. This is someone who has been a member of Cabinet since 2016, and stood over chaos and failure in the international protection system.”
Sinn Féin’s stance on immigration issues would be a major hurdle to overcome if future electoral success with the likes of the Social Democrats, Labour, People Before Profit and the Greens is to happen again.
In May, Labour TD Duncan Smith said that Sinn Féin’s plans to cut support for Ukrainian refugees was “cynical and exploitative”, and in 2024, People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy went so far as to say that Sinn Féin were “scapegoating” migrants.