Tánaiste launches attack on ‘right-wing Tory press’ with side-swipe at Boris Johnson in asylum row

Micheál Martin was told by Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon that the Government's recent "chaos" on migration was "a PR boon to the Tory party in their election campaign". He added: "You couldn't make it up."

The Tánaiste, referring to today's local elections in the UK, replied: "We'll see by the end of the night, whether it's been a PR boon or not."

The Conservatives are predicted to lose hundreds of seats in councils across Britain in today's poll, with a UK general election also looming this year.

Mr Gannon said Mr Martin had told his parliamentary party on Wednesday night communication and engagement on migration needed to improve "on all fronts”.

It was incredible that Mr Martin had acknowledge it "this far into the chaos", Mr Gannon said. "Every couple of months you've promised that you will improve communications,” Mr Gannon said.

"It's very hard to communicate a plan for migration that you very clearly don't have."

Mr Gannon asked when "this shambolic Government" was going to get its act together and put a proper plan in place for migration.

Mr Martin replied: "You couldn't make it up - a left-wing deputy like yourself, invoking the right-wing Tory press to attack the Irish Government.

"And you're taking the Telegraph seriously? There is obviously no-one [from An Garda Síochána] at any border.

"There are no checkpoints at the border. But I remember actually a former British prime minister, in my time as Taoiseach when there were blazing headlines across the British press saying: 'The frigates are going to France.'"

Mr Martin appeared to be referring to Boris Johnson, a one-time Daily Telegraph columnist who now writes for the Daily Mail.

Mr Martin told Mr Gannon that such headlines "made me stand back and just reflect a bit".

He told the Social Democrats TD: "Don't get taken in by the Telegraph, Deputy."

More than 700 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel in a single day – a new record for the year so far.

The UK’s Home Office said 711 people made the journey in 14 boats on Wednesday, suggesting an average of 51 people per boat.

It takes the provisional total for the number of arrivals this year so far to 8,278.

Channel crossings had already hit a new record high for the first four months of a calendar year, and the latest figures show they have now jumped 34pc on 2023 when 6,192 were recorded and are up 19% on the total at this stage in 2022 (6,945).

Today's News in 90 seconds - 2nd May 2024

Last year 29,437 migrants arrived in the UK, down 36pc on a record 45,774 arrivals in 2022.

Since the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act became law after receiving Royal Assent on Thursday last week, 1,611 migrants have made the journey in 32 boats.

The figures come as the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said a third man had been charged with an immigration offence after five migrants died trying to cross the Channel last week and was due to appear in court.

Britain’s controversial plan to send asylum seekers for processing in Rwanda was signed into law last week. The first migrants have been detained with the intention of putting them on flights by July, which British prime minister Rishi Sunak says is already acting as a deterrent.

A major political row has developed between the Irish and British governments, after claims from Irish ministers that 80pc of asylum seekers arriving in the Republic were now travelling via Northern Ireland, and the UK insisting it would not accept them back.

The Taoiseach has also insisted gardaí would not be sent to police border areas, which could threaten pledges to avoid a ‘hard border’, although 100 are being redeployed to frontline immigration duties.