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Communication and engagement on the immigration issue must improve on all fronts, the Tánaiste has 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.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said there will not be a garda presence at the border to prevent asylum seekers crossing the border on the island of Ireland.
He was speaking 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 returns 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”.
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