Ivana Bacik demands condemnation of Bertie Ahern remarks

Tánaiste, the comments of former Taoiseach Bertie A'Hearn are deeply disturbing. Particularly alarming was the way in which he singled out specific ethnic, religious and national identities. More than being just offensive and irresponsible, this language was dangerous and inflammatory. For a politician who devoted so much of his career to finding a resolution to the troubles, a conflict based on religious division, it's shameful to hear him refer to a child's religion, Islam, when he says he's worried about the next generation of Muslims. Tánaiste, in the context of the Dublin central by-election, it was profoundly wrong to use language which could direct public anger towards migrants and minorities. We've already seen a candidate in that constituency make an outrageous call for internment of refugees. And in the other by-election, in Galway West, a torrent of despicable online racist abuse has been directed at our Labour candidate, Councillor Helen Ogbu. And META have failed to take responsibility for the hate speech that they're facilitating. Tánaiste, former Taoiseach A'Hearn remains a member of the Council of State. He's more than just a private person making ignorant remarks on a door. As he should know, discourse around migration must be rooted in facts, in humanity, in respect. And that's why the Labour Party just last month launched the Together We Thrive campaign. Our campaign promotes the urgent need for a fair, fact-based, national conversation on migration, which highlights the enormously positive contribution made by those with migrant backgrounds to our society and our economy. And these are clear from the figures. We know the health and social care sectors in particular rely heavily on migrant workers. You know, Tánaiste, nearly one in four nurses and midwives employed by the HSE come from abroad. I met this morning with Nursing Homes Ireland. They confirmed their sector, Nursing Homes, simply could not function without migrant workers who make up a huge proportion of their workforce. Yet we're failing so many migrant workers. I met yesterday with the Irish National Midwives Nurses Organisation, the INMO, and their members told me directly about the enormous delays in the system for nurses working here who seek to bring spouses and children to join them from abroad. And I heard directly from those affected heartbreaking stories of family separation due to the delays in processing visas for family reunification. A mother working in cancer care in Rathgar, in my own constituency, her two daughters aged four and seven, living in Ghana with their grandmother for the last two years waiting for permission to come here. We're failing the people whose work is building our communities and, Tánaiste, we need to change our rhetoric and improve their reality, improve the family reunification processes, but moreover be careful about our language. So, Tánaiste, do you condemn Bertie Ahern's comments? Will you call on him to apologise? And will you support our Labour campaign, our Together We Thrive campaign, for a fair, fact-based, positive conversation about migration? Tánaiste. Well, thanks very much, Laska and Corlann. Thank you to Deputy Batchick. And let me at the outset, while respecting the rules of the House in relation to by-elections, let me absolutely deplore, condemn and abhor any racism directed towards any candidate in this Republic and in this democracy. I want to be very clear in relation to the comments of the former Taoiseach. They weren't appropriate. They were wrong. It's absolutely, perfectly legitimate in this country. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say it's essential in this country that we debate migration policy. No one has an issue with that. It's important we debate it. We might have different views, different perspectives. That's okay. It's important we debate laws and systems around migration. No one has an issue with that. The policy of the government has been clear. Anyone who comes to Ireland seeking asylum outside the EU or outside the EEA should be treated humanely, should be treated in accordance with international law. Someone has a right to be here. Their application should be processed quickly. And we've been trying to do our bit to ensure faster processing time. But of course, and I think to the note of the point you're making, most people who come to Ireland don't come through the international protection system at all. They come through a whole variety of other ways, legitimately and legally, to play a positive role in our country. And I want to take up the opportunity you've afforded me, and hope we all do at this house, to recognise the very positive contribution that those people make to Irish society and to the Irish economy. People who come here to work, to study, contributes to our country, makes our country and our republic better and more complete. Of course, as I say, we can have sensible and rational discussions around migration policy. Every country in the world is having that. That's different. It's never acceptable to single out an entire group of people based on their race, based on their ethnicity, or indeed based on their religion. That only serves to demonise or to stigmatise a group of people, and that's not a helpful contribution. In fact, it's hurtful. I was struck by the comments of the chief imam of the Islamic Centre of Ireland, Sheikh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, and he said the remarks were offensive to all immigrants. He said it's important to discuss the challenges that this country faces openly and honestly. That is important in a democracy. We should always be willing to do that. But we should avoid the kind of rhetoric that would seek to scapegoat an entire community. We benefit hugely from people who come to Ireland, make Ireland their home. They're working in our public services. You referenced our health service, our nurses, our doctors, our healthcare assistants. Hospitals wouldn't function without people coming here as well. So we are a better country as a result of people coming here as well. So as I say, it's perfectly legitimate to debate migration policy, the systems we have, but we should never group people based on religion, based on nationality, or based on race. So the comments have caused hurt, have caused harm. I'm sure that wasn't the intention. I certainly hope it wasn't. I'm sure it wasn't. But I think it's important that we all unite in this house, all parties and none, in terms of being very clear on our views in relation to this. I thank you for your comments about Bertie Ahern's remarks, saying they weren't appropriate and they were wrong. But will you go further and call them out and call on him to apologize? It's ironic, as you'll appreciate as Fine Gael leader, that Bertie Ahern would have the temerity to fuel rhetoric that blames immigrants for systemic problems in Ireland. The man whose policies brought about the worst financial crash in the history of the state. And since that crash, to be honest, migrants have played a pivotal role in rebuilding our economy. Let's acknowledge that. We should also look around this chamber. We're dealing today with an outrageous slur made by a former Taoiseach on people of African heritage and descent, yet in this chamber there is no one of colour, there is nobody, no African voice who can testify to the hurt that those comments causes, who can testify firsthand about the direct experience of racism. Now I and my Labour colleagues very much hope that will change after the Galway West by-election. We know we have a candidate who exemplifies a new Ireland. And I'm not going to speak any further. I'm not going to speak any further. But we hope that will change. You should not make reference to the candidates or to the by-elections. That was agreed by the House. You're showing poor example in what you're doing this morning. Taoiseach. Are the by-elections on? That's concordant. I certainly respect the rules of the House. Look, I take the point about the rules of the House, but I also take the serious point the Deputy makes, because it is a serious issue. There are people feeling hurt today, there genuinely are, we have to acknowledge that as well. I do think, and I feel very strongly about this, I do think we have to facilitate, and indeed you're suggesting ways we can do this, worth exploring that, we do need to facilitate ways of being able to discuss and debate migration in this country. That's a legitimate important part of our democracy. We'll all have different views, should we opt into the EU asylum pact, we believe we should, some people don't, we have different views, that's fine. That's politics, it's policy, it's evidence and debates that we'll follow and work our way through, and that's what we should be doing in this House. But that's different to making comments that I suppose seek to group people based on race, religion or ethnicity, and I'm quite sure unintentionally, but it has caused significant hurt to a significant number of people who play a very fine contribution in our public services, in our society. It's up to individuals to decide what they wish to do, but I'm quite sure, knowing Bertie Arne, he wouldn't have intended that harm, and therefore I think he should reflect on that further.