Ireland’s system for dealing with immigration needs to be firmer, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.
In a pre-election interview, the Fine Gael leader also said people in the country need help “in the here and now” to deal with the cost of living and defended his party’s record in dealing with the housing crisis.
Mr Harris told Virgin Media News that immigration policy needed to be compassionate but also show common sense.
He said: “Why have we had such a difficult, challenging time? Because migration has never before been discussed in any election in Ireland, this is the first time it has been a feature.
“We have went from about 3,500 people a year seeking asylum in Ireland to about 25,000, plus a war in Ukraine.
“Since I have become Taoiseach I have been very clear that the system needs to be firmer. Immigration is a good thing, we benefit from it, but there also have to be rules.”
Mr Harris said he had listened to the people of Ireland who wanted to know that the deportation system works.
He added: “We want to make sure people get a quicker answer to do they have a right to be here and if they do, they get integrated and they work and they are very welcome.”
Turning to the cost of living, Mr Harris said inflation was going down but consumers were not feeling that in their pockets.
He said: “That is why in the last couple of weeks we have doubled child benefit payments to all parents in Ireland, it’s why we’ll do another one in December, it’s why we’ve done the top-up on the fuel allowance.
“People need help in the here and now. That is why there is nearly two billion of measures between now and Christmas to help with the cost of living.”
The Taoiseach added: “If you also look at the budget, the measures disproportionately and rightly favoured those with less, the budget was categorised as a progressive budget.
Simon Harris said Ireland was facing a housing crisis (Niall Carson/PA)
“There were specific measures in relation to child poverty.
“We have come out with a policy today of capping childhood fees at 200 euro per month per child.
“I am also putting in place state intervention to provide 100 public childcare facilities across the country, it is why my party will abolish third level college fees.
“I meet people all the time who are not wealthy, the nurse married to the gard with three children in college and they might be paying nine grand a year in registration fees.
“There are a lot of people who are squeezed middle and they are finding the cost of living very hard.”
Mr Harris said housing in Ireland was still facing a crisis.
He said: “But when Fine Gael first came to office there were fewer than 7,000 homes being built in this country, this year we’ll get up towards 40,000 homes.
“This week my party has shown a plan with 40 billion euro behind it that will see 60,000 homes over the lifetime of the next government.
“We have added 180,000 since 2016, we have put in place assistance for first-time buyers.
“There are people who have availed of the help to buy scheme, not small numbers of people, over 50,000 people.”
Mr Harris was also asked about the construction of the new National Children’s Hospital, the costs of which have spiralled over the years.
He said the hospital had become “much more expensive than it was expected to be.”
He said: “While this is an extraordinarily expensive hospital, for some context, it will be transformational for children’s health.
“It will have a hugely positive impact on our children’s waiting lists.
“The children’s hospital isn’t a partisan issue, the children’s hospital is a win for the children of Ireland and the parents of Ireland and the doctors and nurses who care for the children.
Mr Harris added: “I have also said since becoming Taoiseach that we need to change how we deliver major infrastructure projects in this country and I am the politician going into this election proposing a new department of infrastructure to oversee the delivery of mega-projects.”