Immigration Policy
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-27
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Barry Ward (FG), Dún Laoghaire

I hear what the Minister of State is saying. I am not entirely clear on why there is a limit of 50 because the people we are talking about here need our support. For example, two Afghan women who are living in Ireland have spoken to me about this. They still have family stuck in Afghanistan. Their families are at risk because they have left and their families are necessarily a target then for the Taliban. We all know what the Taliban is capable of. We all know the abuse that women, in particular, suffer at the hands of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
I know there is always pressure on resources in this regard but these are people who deserve our support and our shelter and the opportunity to come here and live a life that they cannot live in their home country. They are often very highly skilled, very highly educated people. They can contribute in our community as well. Is there a reason that 50 has been picked? I am assuming it is 50 in 2026 and 50 in 2027. Is there a reason that number has been picked and can it be expanded?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-27/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:01+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-27