Fundamentally, that is good for the applicant and good for the State. There are huge benefits, which is why we have chosen to opt in. There is a point I would make, one that I think Senator Gallagher made in his contribution as well. We have seen the one state that thought it could go off and do this on its own, namely, leave the European Union and devise a totally independent one-off solution, bring absolute chaos onto itself by trying to do that. Senator Higgins and I have a lot of differences of opinion on the n…

No.

We are obviously not accepting this amendment. I do not know if Sinn Féin fell asleep in 2024 but its members have gone assiduously out of their way - I know they would not do so deliberately - not to mention the new rate card introduced in May 2025 or acknowledge that this rate card is delivering €83 million in savings to the State. It has been applied across 147 centres and the process of putting in place these contracts has been overhauled. The State's objective is always to ensure we have a robust system that d…

The Deputy mentioned 2023 to 2024 three times. He never said anything about 2025.

The purpose of having a rate card and delivering those savings, which are in the millions of euro, while having a transparent process under which payments of over €20,000 are recorded is to have a system where people can see what has been paid and we have an ability to negotiate and deliver the best value for money for the taxpayer. When every contract comes up, and there are 147 of them so far since the summer of last year, it goes through a process that appraises it and looks to deliver the best value for money a…

I have given my answer to the Deputy.

I will rely on a rate card that is delivering millions in savings to us in this area. It is delivering value for money, which we wanted to see, and I believe it is working for us. I will stand over the fact that there is transparency in the payments that are being made. We will not agree, I am sure, but that is the case.

I refer Members to the conversation we had last week. It is the Government’s intention to ensure the system is fully resourced to deal with the outcomes of this legislation.

I propose to take amendments Nos. 21, 27, 29, 79 and 83 together and I will reply to each one. I just want to say, though, before I begin that reply to each individual one, that I am a true believer in democracy. It is very important that we respect democracy and democratic outcomes. We have a Government, and this Government is committed to reform. That is what this legislation is about. I believe it is important to acknowledge that we are trying to reform a system that needs reform. At the end of that process ther…

There will be a process. We have a refugee process as well and we have people who come here to work. All of them remain. It is very wrong to portray what is being done here in a particular way when what is actually being done is a process of reform. Amendment No. 21 proposes to delete section 22(5). That subsection provides that a member of An Garda Síochána, an immigration officer or an officer of the Minister may direct an applicant who holds a valid registration certificate under section 9(4)(a) of the Immigrati…

I do not propose to accept amendments Nos. 2 and 3. I will go into that in detail but it is important to make a point at the very start. If a party is anti-EU, and Sinn Féin is, in my opinion, with platitudes to the left and the right of what it may or may not want to say about it, its members would be far more honest to come in here and say that. On every occasion when I listen to its members speak - they come in and their line writers have given them whatever cliché to say for the day - it is always anti-EU. That…

It is important to recognise there is ongoing co-operation in terms of the management of the common travel area. It is extensive co-operation, as I said in my initial reply. That is at official, political and operational level between An Garda Síochána and the police services of the United Kingdom. All of that is effectively ongoing and continues to be strengthened and deepened in terms of how we actually deal with managing that common travel area. We want to have a common travel area. Every Government of every per…

It is important to note the overall numbers coming in year on year are going down. That is very important and it is the result of a range of measures - some I will accept before the Deputy says it are international and some are directly as a result of the actions taken by myself, the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan and this Government in terms of dealing with the inward flow of migration into the country. That is a very important thing to recognise when we are having this discussion. It is obviously important for us t…

I move amendment No. 12: In page 23, lines 33 and 34, to delete " 174(1) or 174(5) " and substitute " 174(1) , 174(5) , 176 or 193 ". I propose to take Amendments Nos. 12, 137, 138, 140, 144, 155, 159, 167, 194, 197, 221 to 224, inclusive, 245 to 247, inclusive, 255, 263, 266, 267 and 269 together. They are technical and drafting amendments providing clarity and correcting errors in the text.

It is the Government's intention that the system will be properly resourced to deal with the issues and matters arising that the Deputy has mentioned.

Sorry, the Deputy is talking to an amendment-----

Yes, but he is referring to his amendment. Tusla is not under my control as Minister of State.

I am not.

I am not. I very clearly said it is the Government's intention that Tusla will be properly resourced.

I clearly indicated-----