I am glad to have the opportunity of raising this matter. During the debate on the Social Welfare Bill on 1 March 1994, I raised the question of the proposals being put forward by the British Social Services Secretary, Peter Lilley, MP. These proposals have angered and worried many of the advice workers in the social centres in England dealing with Irish emigrants. They have been in touch with me to express their extreme concern at the proposed amendments to the British social services legislation which would have extremely damaging implications for Irish people emigrating to Great Britain and for those already settled there. The proposals will greatly limit the entitlement to benefits for all Irish people who have lived in Britain for less than three years. In addition, the proposed amendments to the British homeless legislation will mean that many Irish people will no longer be considered for housing under the priority need rules.
It is likely that most new emigrants will be sent back to Ireland under these new rules. I asked the Minister at the time to direct his immediate attention to these issues and to raise these matters with the British Government as a matter of the utmost urgency, given that the British Department of Social Services plans to introduce these amendments to benefit entitlements by early summer, which would have an immediate effect on Irish emigrants.
The British Government is acting contrary to European law by forcing these amendments. Some of the amendments smack of the most basic racist legislation imaginable. I want to take this opportunity also to condemn in the strongest possible manner the anti-Irish remarks of Paul Johnson, a journalist at the Daily Mail, who made comments in that paper on 25 April. That type of racist article creates a climate in the UK to introduce the racist legislation proposed by the British Government. Those remarks pander to the base form of chauvinism. I am surprised that a man of his standing holds and promotes such views and this is all the more disquieting. The attitude of mind revealed by these remarks forms the basis of the proposed changes in the regulations operated by the British Department of Social Services. These changes are fundamentally anti-Irish. I ask the Minister to ensure that the British Government withdraws the proposed legislation. The Minister for Foreign Affairs should request the Irish Ambassador in London to protest in the strongest possible manner at the article in the Daily Mail and the publication of racist remarks and slurs.
The Minister for Social Welfare gave an assurance in response to my raising the issue that he would get in touch with his British counterpart. It seems Irish workers will have to wait for some time before they know if Ireland is to be exempt from British plans to curb what they call "benefit tourism". Last Monday in the House of Commons the British Social Services Secretary, Mr. Peter Lilley, declined an invitation from the Opposition to abandon what was described as his "barmy ideas" to introduce a habitual residency test for foreigners seeking to claim social services benefits on arriving in Britain.
The British Labour Party MP, Mr. Max Madden, asked the Secretary to exempt Irish citizens from the proposals. I understand Mr. Lilley is awaiting a report from an advisory council regarding these recommendations. He defends his proposals by saying they are in line with the rest of continental Europe. It was his opinion that the present system is equivalent to giving housing benefit to people who go to England to learn English.
I support the many Irish welfare groups in London who met the junior minister, Alistair Buet, who is responsible for the operation of the plan. There are longstanding links between Britain and Ireland on social security matters and any moves to include Irish people in these proposals must be seen as an unfriendly act by the British Government. If these proposals are implemented thousands of Irish people will be affected, as will students who have been forced out of this country by the Minister's decision to terminate unemployment assistance for students.
The British Government proposes that before social security is paid to foreigners they must show they have lived in Britain regularly for three years. The type of travel undertaken by many people to Britain means that thousands of Irish people will be affected if the proposals are implemented. I ask the Taoiseach to take this matter up with the British Prime Minister without further delay. Action speaks louder than words.
