The UK government maintains a strict “no returns” policy, a stipulation that may be buried within the Brexit agreement or the Northern Ireland Protocol. This policy was made all the more evident to the Irish Government, and particularly Justice Minister Helen McEntee, over the last 24 hours.
McEntee’s arranged meeting with the UK’s Home Secretary, James Cleverly, was abruptly called off. The publicly stated reason was an unexpected clash in scheduling, although it could be interpreted as a diplomatic insult. Despite this, Cleverly was able to allocate enough time to create a polished video discussing the UK’s policy around relocating asylum seekers to Rwanda as a means of deterring further arrivals.
McEntee’s recent performance has been less than stellar. During an Oireachtas justice committee meeting last week, she stumbled over a query by Clare TD Michael McNamara regarding the minimal number of asylum seekers repatriated from Ireland to their first EU point of entry in the previous year.
Additionally, she made a declaration at the same meeting, asserting that 80% of asylum applications to the International Protection Office were from individuals traversing from the UK through the North. This assertion has been subjected to extensive criticism since its delivery. Tánaiste Micheál Martin, in a recent address in London, countered it indirectly, stating that her claim was not evidence-based.
In a vile turn of events, an unidentified individual threatened to bomb the Minister for Justice’s familial residence over the weekend.
Subsequent to Cleverly’s diplomatic slight, McEntee dedicated her Monday to formulating urgent laws that would enable the repatriation of asylum seekers who came via Northern Ireland back to the UK. However, her endeavours may prove futile as the forthcoming legislation may have no impact. UK PM Rishi Sunak and Cleverly spent a portion of their day highlighting that the numerous Irish grievances about being overwhelmed with asylum seekers from Britain was, in fact, validation that their Rwanda policy was effective even before its implementation.
Sunak articulated yesterday that the UK will not be accepting the re-entry of any asylum seekers who have transferred to Ireland. He gave reasons for this, including France’s refusal to accept those individuals who have embarked on a dangerous voyage across from Calais to Dover in rickety, unsafe boats. The current tensions between the two governments over the issue are outlined extensively in our main article.
Rethinking Returns
Those who frequently listen to Joe Duffy’s Liveline or read Conor Pope’s coverage might be familiar with the initial hiccups in the Re-turn system for plastic bottles and cans procured from retail outlets. This approach mirrored one that was applied back in the 70s and 80s when patrons were charged a trivial deposit on bottles, which would be refunded upon their return to the shop. Bagging 5p back in those days was as simple as giving your empty bottle back to the shopkeeper.
Fast forward to today and the slots for returning the items have been taken up by modern, reverse vending machines. Despite the scheme being in its debut month, a plethora of complaints were lodged about defective machines, absent logos on bottles and cans, and difficulties in getting machines to recognise certain items.
The Minister of State Online, Ossian Smyth, who is in charge of the Circular Economy, is slated to appear before the environment committee to present progress updates on achieving a circular economy.
As per his introductory statement, Mr Smyth will have promising updates to report. He will announce that the scheme is slowly but surely becoming a success, with last Saturday being a record-breaking day with over 806,000 transactions, which saw the return of over 2.3 million containers. Up to the present, more than 70.6 million empty containers have been returned by customers, resulting in a deposit value of €12.3 million.
Mr Smyth has been industrious, and he needs to be. In 2018, Ireland’s circular material usage level was the second poorest in the EU, at a dismal rate of 1.6% compared to an EU average of 11.9%.
Though much progress has been made, there is still a long way to go. Does that sentiment not feel a tad familiar?
Flipping Pages
In An Bradán Feasa, one of the intriguing revelations in Fintan O’Toole’s column this week is the discovery that his own name, in its original form, means “salmon”.
This week, O’Toole has focused his column on the disastrous decline of salmon, drawing upon a conversation he had with an experienced salmon smoker, who nostalgically recalls a time when the fish was so plentiful that locals would grumble about its abundance. Now, unfortunately, she struggles to source even a single one. You would find his captivating discussion on the journey of salmon across history and culture worth a read.
Meanwhile, the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan, which is set to diminish the overwhelming presence of cars on the city’s roads, will roll out this summer as scheduled, despite attempts by eight standalone councillors to delay its enactment. The plan, scheduled to commence in August, involves the installation of “bus gates” in key city centres to control private car traffic, including those on the quaysides.
Also, Olivia Kelly sheds light on how Helen McEntee arrived at the 80 percent figure for asylum applications. In a compelling article, our colleague, Joe Humphreys, probes the existence of the notorious “No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs” signs, questioning whether they were a harsh reality or mere urban legend.
Jennifer Bray brings the most recent updates on Micheál Martin’s proposals to abolish the “Triple Lock” employed to administer the overseas deployment of Irish soldiers.
The Dáil Éireann agenda includes leaders’ questions, the Second Stage of the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill, 2024, a motion on the increases in petrol and diesel excise rates, among others. Significant changes on the Seanad Éireann docket include statements about Lough Funshinagh’s flooding and discussion on the Research and Innovation Bill, 2024.
Several committee gatherings are also on the cards, including the Environment Committee, where Ossian Smyth will discuss improvements in the circular economy. The Housing Committee awaits Minister Darragh O’Brien’s remarks on the Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations, 2024. Additionally, an EU Migration Pact discussion is set to take place at the Justice Committee, involving representatives from the Irish Refugee Council, Nasc, and the UNHCR.
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