513 deportation orders issued up to the end of April

A Cabinet sub-committee on migration has heard there were 513 deportation orders issued up to the end of April.

Of these, 186 were removed from the State, including 136 voluntary repatriations.

At a meeting today, the sub-committee focused on enforcement and speeding up the asylum processing system.

Decisions on asylum applications are expected to rise to 14,000 this year, compared with 4,000 in 2021.

Staffing levels are also set to increase from 415 to the high 400s.

Ministers and senior officials also discussed the huge pressure on accommodation and the situation at mount street.

There was no discussion on cutting welfare entitlement for Ukrainians in Ireland.

Need for better communication on immigration – Martin

Communication and engagement on the immigration issue must improve on all fronts, the Tánaiste told a meeting of the Fianna Fáil party.

Micheál Martin said he wants to see a Covid-style response to the issue, before adding that the numbers of people claiming asylum have increased considerably over the past 18-24 months.

He said this is creating significant challenges for the State.

Political slogans or promises will not solve the issue and further cooperation on an international level is the only solution, Mr Martin said.

“We also need to strengthen procedures and processes,” he added.

Cork East Fianna Fáil TD James O’Connor told the meeting that it was time to have a serious conversation about Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman.

He was particularly critical of Minister McEntee’s performance at the Oireachtas Committee on Justice and cited the public’s concern at the handling of migration and how it is affecting Fianna Fáil’s support.

No deployment of gardaí to border

Meanwhile, Mr Martin also told Britain’s Northern Secretary that there will be no deployment of gardaí to the border on the island of Ireland.

He was speaking to Chris Heaton-Harris after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sought “clarification” on the issue and said the Irish Government “must uphold its promises” to avoid a hard border.

Mr Sunak also said the UK has no legal obligation to accept the return of illegal migrants from Ireland.

Earlier this week, the Government said it would draft emergency legislation to designate the UK as a safe country, allowing Ireland to return asylum seekers.

It also said that 100 gardaí would be made available for frontline immigration enforcement duties, although it insisted they would not be “assigned to physically police the border with Northern Ireland”.

Nobody should be sleeping in a tent, says Sinn Féin

Ireland has the capacity to ensure an adequate supply of good quality temporary accommodation and “nobody should be sleeping in a tent”, according to Sinn Féin’s Housing Spokesperson.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Eoin Ó Broin said that when the Government engages with communities and addresses concerns, they do not get “the kinds of scenes that we’ve seen in some parts of the country”.

“Clearly there are bad faith actors, there are people on the far-right who are agitating, but at the core of this is a failure of Government over two to three years to put in place a proper plan,” he said.

“The Government can’t put in a plan for housing, can’t put in a plan for healthcare, they can’t put in a plan for international protection, and in the crossfire then is men, women and children who are seeking international protection, or who are seeking long-term housing, who are being badly failed by this Government.”

Mr Ó Broin said the solution was not to threaten people with arrest for pitching tents on the street, but to provide a State-led temporary accommodation response.

He said they need a system that is fair, compassionate and human rights based, but that is also that is efficient and enforced.