Government Opts In To EU Migration Pact

The Dáil has voted to opt into the EU Asylum and Migration Pact by a margin of 79 votes to 72.  A total of 9 TDs did not vote for one reason or another. The pact was debated in the Dáil both this week and last week. The Seanad has already approved the pact. Four of the five Tipperary TDs voted against the Pact, Deputy Mattie McGrath, Deputy Martin Browne, Deputy Michael Lowry and Deputy Alan Kelly, only Government TD Jackie Cahill voted in favour of the package.

The Government had argued that Ireland needs to be part of the EU plan for migration rather than isolate itself. In March, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee announced that Ireland would opt into the pact, which will introduce legally-binding processing times for International Protection Applications. It will also require a substantial increase in the number of staff processing applications, the building of new accommodation centres, enhanced border security and an increase in the collection of fingerprints. The pact also has a clause requiring countries that refuse to take migrants from other EU Countries unable to cope to make a payment at €20,000 per person per year. A Sinn Féin amendment was defeated – the party wanted Ireland to opt out of the majority of the pact’s provisions rather than tie the hands of future Irish governments on migration policy.