FG:Time for Genuine National Debate on Immigration Issues

[Catalpa]

Time for Genuine National Debate on Immigration Issues

said Enda Kenny back in January

Chance for Ireland to avoid mistakes of others and have a system that is "... good for the Irish and good for immigrants..."

In a wide ranging speech to his Parliamentary Party and General Election candidates in Clontarf today, the Fine Gael Leader Enda Kenny, T.D., said that it was time for the country to have a real national debate on immigration so that we can ensure that the mistakes made in other countries can be avoided and create a system that is good for the Irish and good for the immigrants.

"The recent, dramatic growth in the rate of immigration into Ireland is resulting in what is arguably the greatest economic and social transformation of our country since Independence.

While I welcomed this statement at the time no more has been heard of it since.

I would have thought such a popular proposal would have formed part of the Joint Programme for Government?

Does anyone know if FG/Labour will bring this up between now and election day?

Or do they reckon as they appear to have this election in the bag there is no need to rock the boat now and scare off Labour's 'Looney Left' brigade?










http://www.finegael.ie/news/index.cfm/t ... nkey/30416

[Pig Destroyer]

Why should we have a debate on immigration?
Can't we just throw out all the foreigners and be done with it?

[Pidge]

This "calling for a debate" thing is a bit silly.

If you want a debate, start one. Outline your position and wait for someone else.

[Catalpa]

Why should we have a debate on immigration?
Can't we just throw out all the foreigners and be done with it?

I'm afraid not PD, but we can limit the numbers who arrive here in future to saner levels.

At least Enda has set a marker here which gets him one vote FG would not otherwise be getting - that + Leo Varadkar's principled stance on the issue.

However we have enough threads on all that.

In this one I am interested in finding out if FG and Labour together have agreed a joint approach on immigration and if so when will we hear about it?

Hopefully it will be mentioned this side of the Election to give it a Democratic Mandate once FF & Labour form a Government.

[Fr. Hank Tree]

I think they will avoid bringing it up between now and the election. It's not a pressing issue on the doorsteps and the second they mention the word immigration, they'll be on the backfoot from the media backlash and accusations they're playing the 'immigation card' or 'race card' and appealing to peoples' fears rather than hopes. They'd look like the nasty tory party in england...

FG and Labour are doing as little as possible to win this election.

[Catalpa]

This "calling for a debate" thing is a bit silly.

If you want a debate, start one. Outline your position and wait for someone else.

I'm not standing for Taoiseach - Enda is! :wink:

[Pidge]

This "calling for a debate" thing is a bit silly.

If you want a debate, start one. Outline your position and wait for someone else.

I'm not standing for Taoiseach - Enda is! :wink:

Oh, I wasn't criticising you. My comment was directed to Enda Kenny.

[Catalpa]

I think they will avoid bringing it up between now and the election. It's not a pressing issue on the doorsteps and the second they mention the word immigration, they'll be on the backfoot from the media backlash and accusations they're playing the 'immigation card' or 'race card' and appealing to peoples' fears rather than hopes. They'd look like the nasty 'tory' party in england...

FG and Labour are doing as little as possible to win this election.

Possibly so. But I notice the issue is being avoided like the plague even by Parties who support unrestricted immigration eg SF and the SP.

I'm sure immigration comes up on the doorsteps - it certainly is in Dublin West and I think its a bit unlikely to say the least that other urban areas who have seen an influx of non Nationals would not be mentioning it on the doorsteps either.

[dobber]

Time for Genuine National Debate on Immigration Issues

said Enda Kenny back in January

Chance for Ireland to avoid mistakes of others and have a system that is "... good for the Irish and good for immigrants..."

In a wide ranging speech to his Parliamentary Party and General Election candidates in Clontarf today, the Fine Gael Leader Enda Kenny, T.D., said that it was time for the country to have a real national debate on immigration so that we can ensure that the mistakes made in other countries can be avoided and create a system that is good for the Irish and good for the immigrants.

"The recent, dramatic growth in the rate of immigration into Ireland is resulting in what is arguably the greatest economic and social transformation of our country since Independence.

While I welcomed this statement at the time no more has been heard of it since.

I would have thought such a popular proposal would have formed part of the Joint Programme for Government?

Does anyone know if FG/Labour will bring this up between now and election day?

Or do they reckon as they appear to have this election in the bag there is no need to rock the boat now and scare off Labour's 'Looney Left' brigade?










http://www.finegael.ie/news/index.cfm/t ... nkey/30416

I dont know what he meant by saying this and then foot dragging on this issue. I agree with what some other posters here have said, the rainbow coalition is doing as little as possible to win this election. Enda comes up with an idea every now and then but he never seems to continually work on the issues that much. He needs to bring this up soon else he risks scaring off the immigration issue voters.

[FutureTaoiseach]

Catalpa do not be fooled. It was nothing more than an electoral-stunt. Remember this is the man who last yr told Ursula Halligan of "The Political Party" that he favoured opening the doors to the nationals of Romania and Bulgaria....before later claiming he had supported restrictions on Romania and Bulgaria. Sounds to me like cynical politics. The real power in a Rainbow govt will be Labour and the Greens and they will ensure mass-migration continues and debate is stifled by accusations of "racism" towards anyone who holds a view different from their own.