66% want immigration clampdown: Poll

[FutureTaoiseach]

The findings. Note more nonsense from FF about the 'racist' remarks by Varadkar.:

66% want immigration clampdown

By Shaun Connolly, Political Correspondent
TWO-THIRDS of the population want immigration restricted, a wide-ranging survey exposing Ireland’s contradictory attitude to becoming a multicultural society has revealed.


Despite the call for a clampdown, 54% believe the country’s decade-long experience of mass migration has been good for the republic, with one in three saying it has had a negative impact.

Almost six in 10 people, 59%, think the Government is not doing enough to integrate the new Irish, while 72% are worried about the impact immigration is having on the health service.



A further 65% expressed similar concerns regarding education.

However, 38% of respondents believe a future taoiseach or president of the republic will emerge from the descendents of immigrants, with 33% disagreeing. according to the survey of 1,000 people, conducted by Amárach Research.

The extent of support for curbs on migration came as Social and Family Affairs Minister Mary Hanafin attacked Fine Gael enterprise spokesman Leo Varadkar for suggesting a “racist” initiative to pay unemployed migrants a lump sum to return home.

“The only people he could be talking about are the non-EU nationals, which must mean he was talking about the Africans, which means it’s a racist comment. And, I think he would really want to think where he’s putting his foot before he puts it in his mouth,” said Ms Hanafin.

“It is undoubtedly racist to do it. We are delighted to have these people, they are making a contribution to our economy.

“The Irish were never rejected anywhere when things got difficult for them,” said the minister.

Mr Varadkar strongly denied Ms Hanafin’s charge.

“It’s quite defamatory of her and a bit hysterical. There already is a European fund for voluntary repatriation, so it also shows how ignorant she is,” said the Fine Gael TD.

With Ireland experiencing the net inward migration of 457,000 people since 1996, a little less than a third of those surveyed, 30%, thought the Government was doing enough to encourage integration, while 11% believed it was doing too much.

The bulk of people — 61% — feel integration has only occurred to a limited extent but will go further, while 22% believe it has gone as far as it can and 10% think hardly any integration has taken place at all.

More than two-thirds of those questioned — 70% — said they were not aware of any attempts to encourage integration in their communities by church, council or social groups.

Responding to the findings, the director of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, Philip Watt, said while the views expressed did sound contradictory, they reflected a “misplaced” degree of anxiety about employment in the economic downturn.

“It is misplaced as migrants stop coming to countries where there are few jobs — as exemplified by the dramatic fall in PPS numbers given to migrants recently,” said Mr Watt.

“But, it is perhaps surprising there has not been more trouble, given the changes that have occurred, with Ireland going from having 1% of its population non-Irish, to 10% or 12% in the space of a decade,” he said.

Hanafin saying the Irish "were never rejected....when thinks got difficult for them" is a convenient rewriting of history, especially to Irish emigrants in England in the 1970's.

[Catalpa]

If the media are covering this ten the angle will be how to change the attitudes of the people not how to change the law to reduce immigration. We will be presented with the idea that the poll proves we are racists and in need of education.

The people are not the masters you see. We are the problem.

Yes I think you are spot on there - it will be a repeat of Madam's 'Are we out of our minds' mentality.

- we are to be re educated!

[Trampas]

The 2 rule for dole collection should never have been introduced in the blase manner it was. There is an incentive for non-Irish to work for 2 years and then go on the dole.

We should count ourselves lucky that there is a 2 year rule. This rule was introduced just weeks before the 2004 enlargement after the UK had done so. The key decision was made by Brian Cowen in June 2001 after our rejection of Nice 1. He felt he had to do penance for the Nice vote by declaring open house on the Irish labour market before other EU states had taken a decision in relation to their own labour markets. It was reckless then and in hindsight it is reckless now.

[Clanrickard]

The 2 rule for dole collection should never have been introduced in the blase manner it was. There is an incentive for non-Irish to work for 2 years and then go on the dole.

We should count ourselves lucky that there is a 2 year rule. This rule was introduced just weeks before the 2004 enlargement after the UK had done so. The key decision was made by Brian Cowen in June 2001 after our rejection of Nice 1. He felt he had to do penance for the Nice vote by declaring open house on the Irish labour market before other EU states had taken a decision in relation to their own labour markets. It was reckless then and in hindsight it is reckless now.

Correct. But will the gov have the cojones to change it?

[Eduard Suess iv]

“The only people he could be talking about are the non-EU nationals, which must mean he was talking about the Africans, which means it’s a racist comment. And, I think he would really want to think where he’s putting his foot before he puts it in his mouth,” said Ms Hanafin.

“It is undoubtedly racist to do it. We are delighted to have these people, they are making a contribution to our economy.

Who is the “we” that are delighted to have these people in our country? Put it to a vote and you will soon see that the “we” are in a very small minority. All this from a twittering idiot who cannot shut her mouth long enough to listen to what anyone else is saying.

[CookieMonster]

If the media are covering this ten the angle will be how to change the attitudes of the people not how to change the law to reduce immigration. We will be presented with the idea that the poll proves we are racists and in need of education.

The people are not the masters you see. We are the problem.

We must regain control over the political process and force the elite to listen. Tell them, no controls, no Lisbon.

Have you ever got off your arse and actually got involved in politics in real life?

HA! What do you think?

[McDave]

The Examiner coverage is online now
http://www.examiner.ie/irishexaminer/pa ... qqqx=1.asp

Rather than take a lead from the 62% who are broadly supportive of immigration, perhaps the more significant figure is the one-third who see immigration as a problem. If this is a sound poll, then it suggests that there is widespread unease with the laissez faire approach we took to the new accession states, not to mention our shambolic policy on the non-EU cohorts (refugees etc.).

We shouldn't be surprised, therefore, that immigration was an issue in Lisbon - as many have claimed, and many have also denied!!

[hiding behind a poster]

The Examiner coverage is online now

http://www.examiner.ie/irishexaminer/pa ... qqqx=1.asp

I did find THIS in the report:

However, 38% of respondents believe a future taoiseach or president of the republic will emerge from the descendents of immigrants

Oh good God, not another one.....

[YukonTom]

it would be great if we really enforced deporting illegal immigrants, employ 100 inspectors and go to all buissnesss in the country finding illegals and deporting them. we should also have a system whereby irish people can phone immigration if we think someone is illegal. Furthermore i hope there is cutbacks made to the refugee budget, there living in hotels hopefully will be over and cut there 19 euro a week as well.

[akanji]

If the media are covering this ten the angle will be how to change the attitudes of the people not how to change the law to reduce immigration. We will be presented with the idea that the poll proves we are racists and in need of education.

The people are not the masters you see. We are the problem.

We must regain control over the political process and force the elite to listen. Tell them, no controls, no Lisbon.

Have you ever got off your arse and actually got involved in politics in real life?

You're really spot on by virtue of your thought but i must remind you that, i am a Nigerian and i went home after i was granted leave to remain by virtue of Eu citizen child and i came back via heathrow airport and i was checked alright without breaking any immigration rule since my legality but i wonder while some of the immigrant from indian with his wife has to go to that lenght to smuggle cigarette to the u.k and afterward he said he was going to kill himself but what happens he has to be deported you brake the rule you go back home end of story, make a move ?