The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it expressed its
strong disquiet to the German ambassador for remarks he made to a
group of visiting German industrialists in which he described Ireland
as a "coarse place" where hospital waiting lists were chaotic and
everyone drove '06 and '07 cars.
Mr Pauls was due to introduce speakers, including Mr Mitchell, at the
opening of the meeting with the German businessmen. He spoke in German
to the gathering and his comments were translated into English for the
small number of Irish people there, including Mr Mitchell.
During his address, the ambassador referred to Ireland's wealth,
saying Ministers of State earn more that the German chancellor, and 20
per cent of the population were public servants.
In a reference to negotiations over hospital consultant contracts, he
said doctors who were offered salaries of €200,000 a year had
described the salary as "Mickey Mouse money". Mr Mitchell said last
night they were the only words the ambassador said in English and that
the audience laughed at the comments.
Mr Mitchell said Mr Pauls also criticised the Government's immigration
policy, saying Ireland learned nothing from Germany's experiences. He
told a story about attending the National Concert Hall when an
announcement was made for the owner of a 93D-registered car to move
it. He said no one moved as all Irish cars are '06 and '07.
He said that US visitors had stopped coming to Ireland because of the
heavy traffic and that Ireland has a bleak time in the past due to the
Famine and had a history "sadder than Poland". Mr Pauls said a house
had sold in Clontarf for over €20 million and one could buy a
skyscraper for that in Frankfurt.
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