Can there be a calm, open and honest debate on Ireland's migration policy in the Oireachtas, as the Government says it wants?
The question was put to the test this week, when the controversial issue dominated Dáil proceedings for three successive days.
The issue caught fire the previous week due to comments made by the Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris.
He began by talking about migration: "Our migration numbers are too high, and I think that is really an issue that needs to be considered in a very serious way by Government."
In his next sentence, he referenced asylum claims and deportations.
"One of the reasons I think they are so high is that there are too many people who come to this country and are told they do not have a right to be here, and it is taking too long for them to leave the country."
Both the Labour Party and the Social Democrats went for the jugular on Tuesday afternoon when the Dáil reconvened, contending deportations had nothing to do with high migration figures.
The Labour leader, Ivana Bacik, said it was irresponsible to conflate migration with a tiny number of people who'd received deportation orders but didn't leave the State.
She contended it was "wrong" for the Tánaiste to say what he said, adding any flaws in Ireland's asylum system is the Government's own fault.
The Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns went further and accused Mr Harris of playing politics "straight out of the Farage playbook".
She told the Dáil: "It's deeply concerning the Government is taking this approach."
The person taking Leaders Questions on behalf of the Government was the Public Expenditure and Reform Minister, Jack Chambers, as the Taoiseach was attending the UN Climate Summit in Brazil.
He said it should be noted that Tánaiste had also said in his comments the previous week that migration is a good thing.
Minister Chambers repeated that it was important that the Oireachtas was able to have a broad debate on what system of migration we should have in Ireland.
He suggested deputies on the Government benches share the Opposition's view that a compassionate and caring approach should be taken to anyone coming to Ireland.
The topic reared its head again the following day, with more than three hours of statements on International Protection Processing and Enforcement.
Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan, referenced the attack on an International Protection Centre in Drogheda, which he described as attempted murder.
He said: "I know all of us in the House will be outraged by these acts. But I would urge people to ensure that we did not allow those extremists, those people involved in criminal activity, to dictate and to mould how we are going to respond in terms of policy to the issues raised in International Protection."
Minister O'Callaghan said he couldn't shy away from expressing the fact that "... the majority of people who apply for international protection are refused."
The latest data, he said, showed that first instance applications were rejected in 81% of cases; 76% of these are appealed; but only 25-30% of those are granted.
The Justice Minister then declared that asylum applications and appeals will be decided within 12 weeks by June of next year, due to increased staffing in his department and improvements in technology.
Sinn Féin notably stuck with cost-of-living concerns during the three high profile Leaders Questions slots this week in the Dáil.
However, on RTÉ Radio, Sinn Féin's deputy Darren O'Rourke said it was important to have a political conversation on immigration "because others will fill the vacuum if we don't".
System 'unfair and broken', says O'Rourke
He maintained that a "huge part of the difficulty" has been created by an IPAS system which "doesn't command the public's support."
Deputy O'Rourke said Irish people are "decent and welcoming" but added what he's hearing from constituents is that the system is "unfair and broken" and is making multi-millionaires out of certain business people.
The People Before Profit TD, Paul Murphy, questioned the Government's reasoning for demanding a "debate" on migration, given it has the Dáil numbers to convene such a discussion at any time of its choosing.
He said: "It's become clear that what the Government wants is not a debate. What you want is a free run to engage in dog whistling, to engage in scapegoating of asylum seekers, and for that not to be challenged."
As Migration Minister Colm Brophy sat on the Government benches and shook his head, his constituency rival in Dublin South West declared PBP-Solidarity will continue to challenge a Coalition that seeks to pin the blame for its own failures on asylum seekers.
The Tánaiste did receive a back-handed compliment from Aontú TD Paul Lawless for requesting an honest debate on migration after condeming his party for doing the same thing over many months: "So I'm glad that Simon Harris has made a u-turn and finally allowed some common sense and critical thinking into this debate."
During Leaders Questions on Thursday, it came as no surprise that the Social Democrats went after the Tánaiste again.
Deputy leader, Cian O'Callaghan, called on Mr Harris to challenge misinformation on the issue, adding pointedly that "leadership means bringing calm to a debate, not inflame it."
He asked: "You have said migration, outside the number of international protection applicants, is too high... what sectors will you be targeting to reduce the number of migrant workers?"
The Tánaiste repeated that migration is "a good thing" but continued: "We also have to have a clear migration policy."
He said: "It is a statement of fact that for every 10,000 people coming into the country, roughly 3,000 more homes are needed."
Mr Harris criticised the Social Democrats for comparing him to Nigel Farage, and he went on to call for a calm and responsible debate on the issue.
Maybe Holly Cairns didn't hear his appeal.
The Social Democrats leader went on the Late Late Show on Friday night and claimed the Tánaiste's recent "tough on immigration" rhetoric is a "panic" response to the outcome of the presidential election, in which Catherine Connolly trounced the Fine Gael candidate, Heather Humphreys.
However, she was criticised yesterday by Independent Ireland deputy, Ken O'Flynn, for saying on the programme that "... there is actually more crime amongst Irish people than there is amongst our immigrant community and that's just a matter of fact."
Deputy O'Flynn suggested the Social Democrats "would do well to book themselves in for an immediate crash course in basic statistical theory."
Can there be an calm, open and honest debate on migration policy in the Dáil?
This week's heated and repeated exchanges on the controversial topic would suggest maybe not.
