Tánaiste Simon Harris has rounded on critics of his comments on immigration, accusing them of “lazy politics” and “pathetic” attacks.
Speaking as he arrived at Government Buildings for Tuesday morning’s Cabinet briefing, the Wicklow TD said he had been “shocked” at what he said was the speed at which people had tried to “box me off and shut me down for saying very basic things”.
He said people were free to disagree with him “but the idea to call me names for saying it is kind of pathetic, kind of misses the point and does a disservice to the debate”.
Earlier this month, Mr Harris said that immigration into Ireland was “too high”, in comments that drew criticism and saw him face accusations of dogwhistling and stoking division.
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He told reporters on Tuesday that he abhors racism and values immigration. “But I also do have significant concerns that we’re not having that sort of discussion at a policy level in Ireland that every other European country is having”.
He targeted the Labour Party for criticism, saying that its sister party in the UK was tightening immigration policy. “Presumably [Irish Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik] is not accusing them of dogwhistling,” he said.
Labour’s Limerick City TD Conor Sheehan accused Mr Harris of populism at his party’s conference at the weekend.
The Tánaiste said this was “lazy politics for a cheap soundbite”.
Mr Harris reiterated the importance of immigration for the economy but said it was also true that “our population has grown at a much rate faster than other European countries”, adding that for every 10,000 people who arrive there is a need for an additional 3,000 homes.
Mr Harris, who is also Minister for Foreign Affairs, welcomed the overnight vote of the UN Security Council to endorse an American peace plan for Gaza, but added there was a need for “a fair amount of teasing through” and more clarity around how aspirations for Palestinian statehood contained in the UN resolution would be worked out.
Mr Harris said there would be proposals brought to Cabinet to iron out “anomalies” in the Irish immigration system compared with other countries, including on the family reunification processes. He also said that the Common Travel Area between the UK and Ireland was not envisaged to form a “single market in terms of asylum” and when the British government talked about introducing changes, its Irish counterpart needed to consider the impact on the country.
He also welcomed plans to ban disposable vapes, on which Minister for Health Jennifer Carrol MacNeill will brief Cabinet today. Ms Carrol MacNeill will also tell Ministers of plans to carry out a public statutory inquiry into scoliosis and spina bifida cases. He said a facilitator would be appointed against the backdrop of trust between families and the health system being at a “very, very low level”.
“There are significant issues of concern here, significant issues of clinical concern,” he said, adding that it was important to give time and space to the inquiry.
