EU migration pact only way to deal with issue, says Fianna Fáil MEP candidate

A Fianna Fáil MEP candidate says the EU migration pact is the only way to deal with the issue of migration moving forward.

Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, former presenter at RTÉ, is running in the Ireland South constituency, alongside Billy Kelleher.

Thr EU migration pact, which has been passed in European parliament, aims to speed up the process as to which asylum seekers are approved or denied entry to the state.

Anyone processed under the border procedure will not be permitted to enter the State and will instead be accommodated at “designated locations” while applications are processed within three months.

This has led to criticism from human rights groups, and criticism over Ireland's sovereignty when it comes to immigration.

However, speaking to Breakingnews.ie, Ms Ní Mhurchú says Ireland cannot handle immigration alone, and the EU pact is the way forward.

"It is the only reasonable and logical prospect of success in dealing with this global phenomenon of migration, whereby people are fleeing persecution, global warming, starvation and war.

"We have got to have a uniformed, balanced system, which is the same whether you are applying for asylum in France or Ireland or Austria, I think co-operation is the only way to do it, because if we go it alone, the cost implications would be astronomical and unthinkable.

"We only need to look at Britain and see what going alone at immigration means."

Response to Gaza

Ms Ní Mhurchú said that should be elected, she would not support the re-election of Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission.

While the Fianna Fáil candidate praised Ms von der Leyen for her response to Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic, she said her support for Israel without the support for the EU would mean she would not receive her support.

Ms Ní Mhurchú also says those comments impacted the EU's response to Gaza.

"She was extremely supportive of Ireland in the Brexit negotiations in terms of keeping our open border. She was extremely effective in terms of Covid-19 management.

"But there was a huge overstep by her - and an overstep I deem totally unacceptable - in relation to supporting Israel without the support of the EU. The reputation of Europe was tarnished.

"I think Ms von der Leyen's misstep at the start perhaps put some MEP's on the back foot in terms of support. We have seen many countries come out with the opinion as Ireland, Spain and Norway have that Palestine is entitled to its own sovereignty and state, but it has taken longer because of Ms von den Leyen."

Ukraine war

When it comes to the war in Ukraine, the country is facing its biggest test since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Over two years into the war, the former RTÉ presenter says she would support peace talks at the right time, but claims it is not possible to negotiate with Putin at present.

"I am a mediator, I am a collaborative lawyer, so I negotiate all the time, it is my first point of contact in any reasonable dispute between people, but this is not a reasonable dispute by Putin.

"This is an illegal war waged by him since 2015, so there is forum on the part of this dictator and tyrant, and so therefore, the time for talks I don't believe is right now.

"I will have absolute support for initiating those talks and calling for those talks, but at the same time, Putin is extremely devious, and would probably use the offer of talks to actually fight harder in Ukraine."

Triple lock

The removal of the triple lock has been a major talking point in the lead up to the election, which would remove a UN veto for the deployment of Irish troops to peacekeeping missions.

Ms Ní Mhurchú says she supports the removal of the triple lock, and has dismissed the idea it would impact Ireland's neutrality.

She also says she would not support Ireland joining a EU army, but would not stand in the way of other countries as long as Ireland's neutrality is not impacted.

"The triple lock has zero to do with neutrality. The reason why these two topics are put together by the soapbox candidates out there is to try and conflate it and try and attract the naysayers.

"If they think the deployment of Irish troops in peacekeeping needs a thumbs up from Russia or China, then I say shame on them. No self respecting defender of Irish sovernigty can truly take that position.

"From Ireland's point of view we are neutral. Fianna Fáil's policy is we intend to protect out neutrality. We don't intend to engage in a EU army or join a European army.

"If other countries want to do that, we would not stop in their way so long as it doesn't interfere with our neutrality and our role in Europe. There would have to be a constitutional referendum for Ireland to join any militarised army of Europe."