Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that views on immigration expressed by former taoiseach Bertie Ahern on a video circulating on social media do not represent the views of Fianna Fáil or their candidate in Dublin Central.
Mr Ahern is recorded in the video as saying, in a conversation, that he has concerns about the level of immigration and that Ireland "can't be taking in people" coming from "the Congo" , as well as the next generation of Muslims in Ireland.
He does go on to say that Ireland should be accepting of people coming from Ukraine however, following the war there.
It was filmed while Mr Ahern joined Fianna Fáil’s Dublin Central bye-election candidate John Stephens was canvassing in the constituency.
Mr Ahern told RTÉ News that the video was recorded without his knowledge and added it was recorded "around nine of ten days ago".
He also the footage circulating online was part of a longer coversation.
"I support Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan's policies on immigration, let there be no doubt about," Mr Ahern said.
"I have said in the past the asylum process should be quicker, but I do acknowledge it has speeded up a bit in recent times," he added.
"I have no problem with people who come here through the visa and asylum systems," he said and added that many African people had gone through the system successfully, live and work in his local area.
This morning, Michéal Martin said that Mr Ahern’s comments in the video were "not appropriate".
"I think it’s not appropriate, in my view, to be specific about any given ethnicity. And that's not, in my view, correct or proper," he said.
He added: "We have to respect people with many different ethnicities in Ireland, many Irish citizens with different ethnic backgrounds, and that has to be respected."
The Taoiseach also said that Ireland has a "fair and robust" asylum system, pointing to reforms brought in by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan towards an "efficient and accelerated process".
He said asylum cases and appeals are now dealt with in a timely manner, adding that "quite a number" of applications do not achieve asylum status.
"I think one of the big problems in the past was that the process went on for years, and it went on too long. And I think we now have that.
"We have a broader migration story where people work, come into work in our health service through work permits or through the European Union, and are very, very valuable part of our economic life and of our healthcare system, and indeed our caring system as well," he added.
Labour candidate in the Dublin Central bye-election Ruth O'Dea said Mr Ahern's comments "are beyond the pale. It is irresponsible, and he has crossed a line".
"It's yet another shameful example during this bye-election campaign of punching down on migrants, and I’ve no doubt that Ahern has thrown this grenade out to distract from the litany of failures that Fianna Fáil have presided over in Government from housing to childcare to enhancing Dublin city," she said.
You can find a full list of the candidates in the Dublin Central bye-election here
