"The biggest shower of eejits in the EU" - Nolan slams asylum seekers grant proposals

Independent TD for Offaly Carol Nolan has said money should be allocated to ramping up enforcement personnel and securing our borders instead of offering tantalising grants to fake applicants who must think we are "the biggest shower of eejits in the EU.”

Deputy Nolan was speaking on the latest government proposals to offer asylum seekers a voluntary return grant of €2,500, or €10,000 for a family, if they withdraw their pending claims for international protection. She described the move as “a bribe for bogus applicants that should be immediately withdrawn” and said it was "an astonishing admission of weakness."

By its actions in relation to asylum seekers, Deputy Nolan said the Irish government is sending out a message to the world that it "just cannot enforce" its deportation or asylum processes.

“It is being dressed up as yet another ‘get tough’ measure to incentivise people to leave the State voluntarily. But that is absolutely ludicrous. It is an admission of failure on an epic scale.”

She also claimed that the Irish government and the EU have "tied themselves in bureaucratic knots" on this issue because they have placed all of the obligations on states to accommodate applications that should never been tolerated in the first place.”

“What this tells me is that Government has effectively given up all pretence at enforcement and instead it has now resorted to financial bribes to try and get these people, who may have no right to be here, out,” said Deputy Nolan.