Calls for new Government immigration department
The Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs has spent several months studying immigration into Ireland and has concluded that it is one of the single biggest issues facing this country in the coming years.
Its final report is due out within the next few weeks and is expected to recommend that a new senior Government department be created.
It would be responsible for dealing with the many issues facing Irish society as a result of large-scale immigration in recent years.
A draft of the report, seen by the Irish Examiner, argues that the appointment of a minister to the Cabinet would be a strong political statement reflecting the importance that should be attached to this issue.
A single department would take over the duties that are currently shared by up to six departments, including Justice; Enterprise and Employment; Foreign Affairs; Social and Family Affairs; and Community Affairs.
A source close to the committee told the Irish Examiner that the scale of the challenge is enormous.
“Immigration needs to be gathered into one Government department. You need that kind of weight of Cabinet status, especially when you have a million people coming into Ireland over the next 10 years,” the source said. “Everybody understands it will have to be dealt with.”
The report says no real thinking has taken place at senior policy level to the consequences of economic change or of a downturn in employment .
In an implicit criticism of present Government policy, the committee, chaired by Fine Gael TD John Deasy, suggests that its focus on immigration has been predominantly economic.
However, it points out that population growth has other effects, including increased demand for housing, more congestion, and more demand for State services.
In addition, the Government has yet to produce a coherent policy on issues like integration and assimilation, it says.
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