The Green Post Ireland
Sinn Féin has announced plans to create a new immigration agency to manage international protection applications, aiming to halve the processing times. On Thursday, party leader Mary Lou McDonald introduced these immigration policies, reinforcing an earlier promise that future State-run accommodation centers would not be placed in working-class areas.
The party proposes to expand the number of staff handling asylum applications from 500 to 1,200, a move McDonald believes would reduce current processing times, which stand at a median of 85 weeks. Sinn Féin has also committed to ending the €800 accommodation recognition payment offered to families hosting Ukrainian refugees, arguing that this scheme disadvantages others trying to secure private rentals.
Additionally, Sinn Féin plans to consider registration requirements for EU/EEA Swiss citizens to gather data on migration flows. Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire mentioned that similar registration exists in other EU countries and that tracking these flows would help Ireland manage migration more effectively.
McDonald also spoke about the future of the temporary protection directive for Ukrainians, which is set to expire in March 2026, suggesting the need for a structured conclusion to the policy.
Furthermore, if in government, Sinn Féin pledges to appoint a minister of state for reunification within its first 100 days, draft a green paper on the topic, and organize a citizens’ assembly. Conversations with the British government would also be initiated to determine the “tipping point” for a Border poll.
In addition, McDonald publicly criticized Gerard “The Monk” Hutch’s candidacy, marking the first time she has addressed it during the campaign. She stated that she represents communities that have suffered from gang violence and the heroin crisis of the 1980s and condemned Hutch, or anyone involved in criminal activity.
