International Protection Bill 2026: Committee Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-18
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Sarah O'Reilly (AON), Agricultural Panel

The issue of sovereignty in immigration policy should not be seen as an abstract constitutional debate. It is about whether the Irish State retains control over decisions that impact our housing supply, school places and community cohesion. I remain concerned that through the EU migration pact, we have effectively transferred significant elements of decision-making authority to Brussels. While European co-operation has a role to play, the practical effect appears to be that Ireland has reduced autonomy in determining how its immigration system operates. Governments often respond to these concerns by arguing that they received a democratic mandate from the people. However, it is worth asking whether voters were ever explicitly told that immigration policy would increasingly be shaped by EU level mechanisms, rather than domestic decision-making.
If the public is to have confidence in the system, it must be clear who holds authority and where accountability lies. That is why the amendments proposing greater transparency are important. In particular, the proposal for an annual report outlining the extent to which Ireland's international protection system remains under domestic control is a sensible and measured step. Such a report would clarify which aspects of policy are determined by the Irish Government and which arise from EU obligations. When it becomes harder and harder for people to find housing or get their child into a school, I would like it to be clear where the responsibility lies. The Government did not put the adoption of the pact to the people and it has decided that we will allow the EU to make decisions for us. We need to understand the repercussions of the Government's unilateral decision to sign up to the migration pact.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:44+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-18