SINN FÉIN LEADER Mary Lou McDonald has defended her party’s use of the term “open borders”, following criticism from Taoiseach Simon Harris and other opposition TDs.
The party shared a video on social media last week featuring TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire speaking about the EU Migration Pact, in which he said Sinn Féin was “opposed to open borders”.
The video attracted criticism from a number of opposition politicians, including Labour’s Aodhan Ó Ríordáin and Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore, who both labelled the use of the phrase as a “dog whistle”.
The video was referenced in the Dáil on Thursday by Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys.
“We are an island. The only open border we have is with Northern Ireland, and I don’t think that you would suggest that we have a hard border with Northern Ireland,” she said, adding: “We have to be careful here.”
Taoiseach Simon Harris described the remark as “very worrying” and “very peculiar”.
He said “flippant remarks and social media videos” about borders should cause concern, adding: “I would have expected better, quite frankly.
But speaking at the launch of Sinn Féin’s local, European and Limerick mayoral elections this afternoon, McDonald defended her party’s rhetoric, arguing that it has long been her position on immigration.
She claimed that there has been “a lot of misinformation” around migration and accused the Government of “scrambling” on the issue.
“Sinn Féin is not for open borders, we are for a system that is fair, human rights compliant, efficient,” she said.
When it was put to McDonald that Ireland doesn’t have open borders, she said: “I have used that term for clarification purposes, and I’ve been using that language and making that point as far back as 2007.”
McDonald referenced an Irish Times report from 2007 where she, then an MEP for Dublin, said Sinn Féin is not in favour of an “open door” or “open border” policy on migration.
“I made the point then, and I make the point now, that anyone who says that Sinn Féin is for open borders is wrong.
“We are for a system that is orderly, that is fair, that is human rights compliant, that is efficient – that’s an important piece – and that is enforced.”
Asked what had changed since McDonald told RTE’s This Week programme in February that “there is no such thing” as “open borders” and that Ireland does not have “open borders”, she said: “Nothing has changed”.
“I’ve been saying since 2007 – go and check the Irish Times – that we’re not for open borders,” she continued.
Let me repeat: we want a system that is that is fair, that is efficient, that’s enforced.
During the RTE interview, which aired on 4 February, she also said: “I hear people talk about this business of ‘open borders’. This seems to be a line that’s peddled by some. There’s no such thing, Ireland doesn’t have open borders.
“We have a system that is rules-based, that is based in law and it has to be efficient, it has to be fair, it has to comply with human rights standards, with international law and it also has to be applied. And I think reasonable people will see that as a fair and a sustainable way to proceed.”
Sinn Féin launched its campaign for the local, European and Limerick mayoral elections at The Helix on the Dublin City University campus.
Stormont First Minister Michelle O’Neill was given a standing ovation as she addressed the delegation of local election and European candidates.
Stormont Economy Minister Conor Murphy, Senator Lynn Boylan, and front bench TDs such as Eoin O Broin and Pearse Doherty were also in attendance at the event.
With reporting from Press Association
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say