EU Migration Pact vote in Dáil put off until next week after rare Government intervention
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A controversial vote on the EU’s Migration Pact has been delayed after a Government intervention.
In an unusual move, Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton proposed further extending the debate until next week.
She said that more TDs had sought to contribute ahead of a vote.
However, this was rejected by Sinn Féin whip Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Independent Mattie McGrath — with accusations that the Government was attempting to postpone the vote because of a risk that it might not pass.
Independent TD Marc MacSharry also said that the Government was using it as a tactic due to the day’s votes likely being tight.
However, the proposal to continue the discussion into next week and delay the vote passed by 74 votes to 68.
One of the key aims of the EU’s Migration Pact is to improve burden-sharing of asylum applications across the EU, due to some EU members receiving a disproportionate number of international protection applicants.
Earlier on Wednesday, the High Court was asked to grant orders delaying the Dáil and the Seanad from voting on measures contained in the EU pact on migration and asylum until a referendum takes place.
The application, which has been brought by barrister Una McGurk SC, came before Mr Justice David Nolan, as TDs and senators prepared to vote on elements of the pact.
In her proceedings against the clerk of the Dáil, the clerk of the Seanad, the Minister for Justice, Ireland, and the Attorney General, Ms McGurk seeks various orders.
These include injunctions delaying any vote in either house of the Oireachtas on the EU measures from taking place, “until such time as a referendum of the people takes place to determine the constitutionality of any such ceding of sovereignty.”
The matter was adjourned to a date later this week.
In the Seanad, where a vote did go ahead, Justice Minister Helen McEntee defended the decision to press ahead with adopting the pact.
She stated that people “very clearly” voted through the Lisbon Treaty to have the option to opt in on EU migration and security issues.
She told the Seanad: "This is not being forced on us. We have the option to opt in.
In the Dáil, ministers stressed the importance of working with other EU countries on migration.
Michael McGrath warned the Dáil that an “isolationist approach” will not work when it comes to a global problem.
Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly said her party could not support the pact, claiming that “some decisions are better taken locally, and one size does not fit all”.
Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy said there are “merits” in some aspects of the proposals, but she hit out at the lack of details.
She said: “When we look at the various regulations that are going to be turned into legislation... I don’t see where the EU strategy is to actually deal with the conflicts in the countries that a lot of migration is coming from."
Ms Murphy, who described the Dáil debate as a “façade”, said:
European Affairs Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill listed a number of supports being provided by the EU towards maintaining security, including a €20m contribution to the Multinational Joint Task Force to tackle Boko Haram.
In the High Court proceedings against the clerk of the Dáil, the clerk of the Seanad, the Minister for Justice, Ireland, and the Attorney General, Ms McGurk seeks various orders.
These include injunctions delaying any vote in either house of the Oireachtas on the EU measures from taking place, “until such time as a referendum of the people takes place to determine the constitutionality of any such ceding of sovereignty”.
The judge who noted that the application has not been notified in advance to the defendants, said that he was not prepared to make any orders without hearing from the other sides.
He said that he was only prepared, on an ex-parte basis, to grant the applicant permission to serve short notice of the proceedings on the defendants.
The matter was adjourned to a date later this week.