Dublin EU election candidates clash over Migration Pact on RTE Prime Time debate

European election candidates vying for a seat in the Dublin constituency clashed on the EU Migration Pact during Tuesday night’s Prime Time in a heated debate ahead of this week’s elections.

Sarah McInerney and Miriam O’Callaghan grilled eight of the 23 candidates running for one of four Dublin seats in the European Union during this month’s local and European elections.

The debate saw candidates deliver their stance on the EU migration pact and immigration, defence, the triple lock and neutrality in Ireland, the environment and transport as well as answering a series of quick-fire individualised questions.

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Opening up the debate, Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews was asked about the EU Migration Pact, which he supports, telling the presenters, “What we really need to do is adopt the pact” adding that no country can go at it alone.

Aodhán Ó Riordáin of the Labour Party was not in support of the pact and likened the policy to the UK’s Rwanda scheme as he called for a “united front” when it comes to a policy on migration adding that the Labour Party could deliver this.

The Social Democrats’ Sinéad Gibney blasted the Government’s immigration system and the “cynical” measures put in place as she called for a better policy in dealing with the growing numbers of people entering Ireland.

People Before Profit’s Bríd Smith also denounced the EU Migration Pact, said there was “scaremongering” as she called for the Government to introduce a policy that would speed up the ability for people seeking asylum to work as soon as possible.

Grilled on the topic of detention centres, Fine Gael’s Regina Doherty said that there was no risk of anyone losing their rights as she defended the Migration Pact saying it delivers a “common set of rules”.

The debate heated up when Sinn Fein’s Lynn Boylan, who opposes the pact alongside her party, was asked what she would do in lieu of the Migration Pact.

Lynn said: “What we want to first of all see is a system that works”. As she said Sinn Fein has been calling for years to deliver a proper migration plan adding that Ireland should “double the staffing levels of the IPASS” and be “fair and efficient”.

As Lynn called for more legislative security in the Dáil, Barry Andrews interjected stating that EU member states had voted differently, with Lynn saying “Ye want to railroad it through before the election, that’s the truth, Barry”.

As Lynn called for Barry to bring forward proper debate and scrutiny around the pact, Barry spoke over the Sinn Féin politician saying she was “changing her argument” saying previously she was in favour of a “sovereigntist argument” before saying this was “straight out of Nigel Farage’s playbook”.

Labour’s Aodhán Ó Riordáin jumped in as he slammed the government for making “a bags of things for the last four years” before Miriam cut in as Aodhán and Barry had words with each other.

Ciarán Cuffe of the Green Party also denounced the Migration Pact stating that we cannot “ leave people stranded at the border or to drown at the border” as he said there was not “sufficient compassion” in the pact.

Lastly, asked how she would deal with the flow of migration, Clare Daly called for a better immigration system in Ireland, saying that we have had a “broken system for years here, which has been highlighted by successive reports in terms of the direct provision”.

People across Ireland will go to the polls on Friday, June 7 2024 for the local and European elections. European elections take place within a four-day period across the European Union. You can read more about the elections here.

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