Independent TD Mattie McGrath has said he is considering going to the Gardaí over comments made by Labour TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin.

The Tipperary TD claims Deputy Ó Ríordáin’s comments linked him to the Dublin riots and accused him of incitement to hatred.

He says the “inflammatory remarks” were made in the Dáil and on social media.

For this part, the Labour TD said he only referred to Independents – insisting that he was ready to meet any legal complaint.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Deputy McGrath said it is important to have calm and respect when debating issues like immigration.

“Inflammatory marks like this, you know from any source, are not helpful – especially when they are utterly untrue,” he said.

“Apart from the Dáil, he also made comments in another publication outside of the House, which implicitly implied that we were responsible for causing the riots – which is just wholly untrue and very, very reprehensible remarks.

“So, remarks like those are very irresponsible.”

The rural Independents Group on the plinth outside Leinster House, 07-07-2021. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews

The Rural Independents are also reportedly complaining to the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission about remarks made by People Before Profit Deputy Paul Murphy, which they also claim link them to the far-right.

Deputy McGrath labelled the People Before Profit TDs remarks reprehensible, adding that he is, “not surprised”.

He said the Rural Independents plan to vie over their Private Members Time next Wednesday for a two-hour Dáil debate on immigration.

He said he has been calling for debate on the issue for the last six months but has been “flatly just refused by the Government”.

“We’re now approaching Christmas and it's being talked about in every shop, in every business place, in every taxi, in every car and in every workplace – but we can't talk about in the echo chamber of Dáil Éireann?

“We are the Teachtaí Dála – we have to give leadership, we have to debate this and have a proper responsible, appropriate debate.”

Migration

Deputy McGrath said he has no problem with people who migrate to Ireland and take up jobs.

He said his problem is with people who arrive undocumented – noting that, “You or I or anybody else wouldn't go far without paperwork, without passports and everything else”.

“We believe they should be held somewhere and they certainly should not be let into the country, especially if they come from other European countries,” he said.

“This is what we need to deal with.”

Undocumented

There are a range of reasons asylum seekers could find themselves without travel documents – with figures showing that 41% of the world’s refugees have no access to passports.

Asylum seekers often pay traffickers large sums of money to get them to Ireland – with travel documents taken from them before they get off the plane in Ireland.

People who arrive without documents still face rigorous testing before being granted asylum.

Deputy McGrath said the Dáil must have a balanced debate on immigration without the “name-calling and wolf whistles, accusations and everything else”.

He said the rural Independents have given over their time to it next week because the Government, “won't have a proper rational debate”.