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MEP MARIA WALSH has defended voting down an EU resolution which would have stepped up search and rescue for refugees in the Mediterranean.
The European Parliament rejected the vote asking member states to step up efforts to save asylum seekers making the perilous crossing on Thursday.
All of Fine Gael’s MEPs – Mairead McGuinness, Maria Walsh, Frances Fitzgerald and Sean Kelly – voted against the resolution, which lost by two.
The resolution called on the “EU Member States to enhance proactive search and rescue operations by providing sufficient vessels and equipment specifically dedicated to search and rescue operations and personnel, along the routes where they can make an effective contribution to the preservation of lives”
Speaking on Morning Ireland, Walsh said that parts of the resolution relating to information sharing were some of the main reasons why she voted against it.
She said: “First and foremost let me be very clear that my colleagues in Fine Gael support search and rescue for the most vulnerable. We want an effective and working solution in the Mediterranean. Not only is it morally right but it is legally our duty to save our most vulnerable but this resolution had a number of red flags.”
Walsh said an amendment to the resolution which would have seen emergency information shared to all vessels in the Med was dangerous as it could tip off human traffickers operating in the area.
She added: “What we see in Essex is that we have a incredibly serious issue with human trafficking that we need to solve but sharing information on the most vulnerable is not the way to do it.
“We need to get back to the drawing board and fast. This report was loose in language. It was putting NGOs at risk.”
Sinn Fein’s Martina Anderson, who voted for the resolution, said the European Parliament failed to commit to protecting human life in the Mediterranean.
“The motion fell by two votes, further adding to a damning record of the EU on the deepening humanitarian crisis,” she said
“It is a matter of deep shame that four Fine Gael MEPs actively voted to maintain a ‘fortress Europe’ status quo that has seen thousands of men, women and children drown simply for seeking sanctuary.
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I guess literally no one on here is going to take off the anti fg glasses and see if there were holes in this proposal? I think it’s time for a fact check, because apart from the headline, I have no idea the detail of what was voted on.
@Brin: google it. The proposal is freely available online and would save lives starting today if not for the heartless blueshirts who unlike yourself, knew the detail of the bill.
Nothing anti FG about being in favour of saving lives, unless someone from FG votes against saving lives.
@Kev: playing devils advocate here:
What if passing this law leads to a dangerous precedent for Migration Trafficking boats to start throwing people into the sea on the basis that they will be picked up as part of the process?
Where do you propose we put these people considering more than half of Ireland (and most EU countries too) don’t want a DP/asylum centre in their local areas… and refugee camps along the Med are overcrowded.
Before we start pointing fingers we need to ask some hard questions on the current situation like Brin suggested
@Brin:
I think the casualty here will be the truth…
I can honestly say that I don’t know if this was a good decision or not… But I am pretty sure I will be told along party lines…
1. The road to the is paved with good intentions
2. Some people will find any reason not to do the right thing
Is it 1 or 2 for you today?
@Vic’s Burd what complete an utter horse cac these people are drowning and dying while the rich and wealthy debate the issue .
@Chris OB: These people are drowning whilst the traffickers load up their next boat. They will tell the next bunch not to worry as you will be picked up at sea if anything happens. Might as well just fly everybody over.
@Vic’s Burd: very good comment…I’m with you there.
@Brin: I agree, and I’m a SF supporter, have never ever voted FG but surely there is more to this story?
@Brin: the Bill calls for Frontex to share all movements with the Libyan Coastguard – that’ll end well..
@Lucille Ball: Sinn Feín policy since the nineties is: – There should be no limit on immigration into Ireland. I don’t believe their policy has changed since then.
The rescue ships are aiding the smugglers
@Louise Fitzpatrick: the rescue ships save lives. Some peoples priorities make me sick
@Dietrich Död:
“Let them drown – especially the children..”
Did you stop and read that back to yourself before you posted it? Are you really that black-hearted evil?
Nonsensical excuse.
@Squiddley Diddley: A bit like her election campaign , ridiculous nonsense.
So if she voted in favour of stepping up S&R missions from EU states you’re effectively giving the green light to people smugglers. Tackle the issue at source and stop aiding and abetting criminal gangs who profit off peoples misery.
@leeser: When someone drowns in the Mediterranean, are they not being smuggled? You speak of turning on a green light that is already as bright as ever. This bill will save lives, tackling criminals is surely a secondary objective to human life
@Kev: Britain, France & the US bombed Lybia, dismantled the Gov structures there and turned it into a lawless and failed state where tribal leaders, warlords and criminal gangs who are being aided militarily by other countries, fight against whats left of the legitamite Lybian Government. Send those pr icks back in to sort out the mess they created. The more vessels you send to the med on humanitarian missions, the people trafficers will keep up with the demand and send out even more rafts. Where does it end? Sending every male in Africa over to the EU is a long term strategy for chaos and disaster.How in the name of god can you not see this.
@leeser: point is they are smuggling anyways so stop with the ridiculous arguements
@Chris OB: And smuggling efforts will only double if this sort of legislation is passed.
@leeser: Common sense spoken…hypocrisy since rural towns who need to be populated down wsnt refugees. Cities are stuffed with people already.
@Terri Corrigan: correction….don’t want
@leeser: Amen. Charity begins at home, and at the moment there is not much charity in childcare, homelessness, health care, particularly Mental health care, we have a gigantic debt thanks to the bankers and have taken in a very reasonable amount of immigrants for our size and financial situation.
@Chris OB: will you be one of the bleeding hearts that will be offering them a room in their home?
Self Righteous Arrogance
Well done Maria. Our naval service should be not be a taxi service for economic migrants.
@Bannerman:
“Our Naval?”
Says the migrant to ‘Israel’
Shes an attention seeker. Met her at Rose of Tralee Sydney at a time. I think she would have had equally good time admiring herself in bathroom mirror. Somewhat empty charachter who fits well into her parties easy led attribute they seek so often.
Let’s just stop reporting on this woman and let her return to obscurity. She voted with her party. Her ridiculous damage claim is giving her publicity that might keep her in office by name recognition in the voting booth.
@Rathminder: I think you are getting your politicians mixed up…
This is not Maria “Swinggate”
Bailey
FG seats safe in Oughterard, Achill and Ballinamore so!
Since the first tragic drownings of migrants the rescue ships are siting themselves off the coast of Lybia waiting to pick up potential migrants who are put to sea in unsafe boats and bringing them to Europe. Question:1. If the rescue ships were not operating such a service would the people smugglers still be in operation to the extent which they are? Question: 2. If the rescue ships returned the migrants to their point of departure would the lucrative business of trafficking migrants still be in operation to the extent which it is?
@Mary Dunphy: exactly. If they returned them back to Lybia it would stop.Simple questions dare not be asked with liberals around as they’ll accuse you of being racist and inhumane.
Unlike Maria to be against minorities…….or marginalised groups (note the sarcasm)
@Charlie B: well, she is swimming with the dolphins now.
@Peter Cavey: this is true Peter, but what about the poor penguins?
@Peter Cavey: she looks like one
Voting for the coffin ships!
Maria is just another FG con artist, cares about nothing but herself and the party,Hungary is in the FG group in the EU parliament and staunchly opposed this,so FG voted with them.
She’s is really concerned about Ugandans unless they try to flee across the Mediterranean – Then they can drown
@Raymond Tom: Exactly, she was pontificating about Ugandans experiencing homophobic abuse, yet the ones that have to flee that can drown in the Med as far as she’s concerned!
@ObsidianShine: so all the men, and they are ALL men in those rafts leaving Lybia daily, are homosexual, and experiencing homosexual abuse. According to you?
@leeser: I suggest you read it again because I never said anything of the sort.
Typical FG. Did you sleep well last night Maria?
FG don’t care about migrants…or…homelessness,public healthcare,poverty,etc.ect.
But they’ll fight tooth and nail to give apple back our 15 billion….
Have we had any explanation why Clare Daly and Billy Kelleher weren’t there to vote considering it was the job they were elected to do?
Seems like the kind of thing journalists should be investigating.
Misguided attention seeking individual. How she got elected is beyond me.
FG bots out in force defending this, god knows what it will be like come elections… Zombie take over..
FFG are EU. Flood our borders but not EUs…
Pathetic ..
@Willy Mc Bride: We are the EU.
And we’re being flooded now, are we? Glad you pointed that out to us.
How quickly the Irish forgot our millions of migrants lost during famine.
@Marian Kelly: The Irish will never forget that.
@Lionheart1: just so we should understand other migrants situation. Ireland more than most should support efforts to alievate suffering
@Marian Kelly: That’s not going to happen although I understand your sentiment.
@Marian Kelly: all because we were not given food and accommodation at the port of entry .
@Marian Kelly: People did not need to die, it was Genocide .
The Irish Donald Trump Party
Toe the party line or your party is over, ditto with the other half of the economic wrecking ball.
Brin – head of FG spin dept, you opened the discussion by saying people need to take off their anti FG glasses. I assume your own party’s specsavers dept have now taken off yere FG tinted glasses. Admit that ye really fecked up on this one – or atleast you might have voted the way you wished – but people will continue to call you out on it and hopefully through the ballot box too!
sounded completely out of her depth on morning Ireland today. how people voted for her I’ll never know
Fine Gael’s fascist core is shinning through. Sick.
@Red Pirate 71: Someones brain is’nt shining very much.
I know a migrants here who came by that route. Left home and job and risked a lot, but it paid off. Got to UK were refused refugee status. Ferry to Belfast and train to Dublin and voila – refugee status. Now supplied with homes, cars and family re-union of wife children and parents. Never worked, the dole is better.
Maria Walsh advices don’t share information about vulnerable and don’t help them, it’s in their best interests of course. That sounds like ffg
Must be great having all that power over peoples lives #karma
What a nonsense excuse. The reality is FG like all of the far right would rather people die on the journey than become an asylum seeking burden on their state.
Of course the same people who’ll claim it’s not their problem had no issues allowing the destabilising perpetrators refuel their military jets in Shannon while we rolled out the red carpet for their commander-in-chief.
Can only imagen how Maria would have responded if asked on the stage of the Rose of Tralee concerning the plight of migrants… Like Charlie Flanagan a bluff would have been the responce.
Ah and her FG handlers got her to join the army resevere as a trooper in the cavalry just to strengthen her patriatic image with the electorate… Theres a video of her being interviewed in uniform on the net just Google her name and you’ll find it… Great country…
Why not vote for it and make a few changes once it has been implemented. This is fine Gael all over. The Irish Tories. Shame in them and anyone who voted these people in
Fine Gael hate the poor. Refugees = poor
Has the lesson been learnt? Bringing somebody in on a ticket because they are handsome/beautiful and/or because they are Gay, is not a good reason to Vote for them. Integrity, a good knowledge of politics etc., is.
Maria should be more tolerant of diversity
When you’re justifying you’re loosing!!
This heartless and ignorant move will lead to further tragedy – more and more Kurds will need refuge, as do Yazidi girls who were sold into rape camps by Isis.
Utter disgrace to vote against this humanitarian measure.
More children like Alan Kurdi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Alan_Kurdi)
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