Aontú will campaign for a new border agency staffed by thousands of people to oversee Ireland’s migration system if its members are elected in the upcoming local and European elections.
The party, founded by Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín, launched its local and European elections manifesto on Tuesday, highlighting the themes of migration, State overspending and defence policy.
The party is running candidates in the three European constituencies, including Mr Tóibín in Midlands North West. It is also running 66 candidates in the local elections. Mr Tóibín said he was loath to make predictions but said that the party would be competitive in at least 24 local election areas.
On immigration Mr Tóibín claimed Aontú was the first party to have raised what he described as “large problems” in the Government approach through hundreds of parliamentary questions. He accused the Government of “breathtaking incompetence” in dealing with the issue.
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He said the party opposed the EU Asylum and Migration Pact, would establish a border agency to deal with all immigration matters, and have special courts to ensure that applications were dealt with within 12 weeks.
Mr Tóibín said the party would also campaign for an Irish Sea border at the airports and ferry ports in Northern Ireland. He said that a recent poll in the Belfast Telegraph showed there was support for such a change in the North.
“Anyone purposely destroying travel documents should not enter the State. All those who receive a deportation order should be deported, except in rare instances on humanitarian grounds,” the manifesto says.
He said the party wanted a single border agency which would recruit “thousands more staff” that would act as a one-stop shop for migration, border policy, deportations, accommodation and enforcement.
At a press conference in Dublin, attend by the other two European election candidates Aisling Considine (Dublin) and Patrick Murphy (South) as well as local election candidates, Mr Tóibin said Aontú had “common sense” policies that derived from listening to people rather that the “political cartel and metropolitan elite that is making decisions oblivious to the needs of the people”.
He cited the €2.25 billion price tag for the National Children’s Hospital as an example of lack of accountability, as well as the €300 million spent on Metro North “and not a shovel has been put in the ground”.
On military neutrality Mr Tóibín said the party would oppose any change in the triple lock, oppose any move toward an EU military alliance, and would oppose Ursula von der Leyen’s reelection as president of the EU Commission.
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