Mary Lou strongly opposes closed door to EU migration

[smiffy]

Conor, as long as you remain a fool and a foulmouth would you stop trying to sneak into discussions that I'm involved in?

Your performance as "monitor" was a disgrace. Readers have a right not to have to face vulgarity and obscenity on these pages. They need a "monitor" who is able to recognize these things, preferably one who doesn't use them himself!
GD

georgedillon, why do you keep lying about Conor's use of 'vulgarity'? It's been pointed out to you that you're wrong, you're unable to present a single post to support your case, and yet you keep repeating the same lies.

By the way, if people have a right not to face vulgarity (although I'm not sure where you got that from) do they equally have the right not to face your idiotic, dishonest rants? If so, cheerio!

[wizzard]

Reid to restrict rights for new EU workers

A "points system" is to be imposed on workers from Romania and Bulgaria in an attempt to stem the growing tide of immigration to the UK.

About 600,000 people have come to Britain from the eight eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004, when the Government imposed no restrictions. At the time, officials said the influx would be between 5,000 and 13,000. The EU is expected to confirm on Tuesday that Romania and Bulgaria will join the union in January

Migration Watch UK, which campaigns against mass immigration, predicted 300,000 arrivals from Romania and Bulgaria over 20 months if access to the labour market is unrestricted.

[Thar an Phail]

But Padraig, whether you like it or not you will never get a situation where people from poor countries will generally work for the same rates as Irish people. The reality is that despite the minimum-wage legislation in place, most Irish people work for higher than the minimum-wage so wages will still be dragged down. These people are desperate and glad to have any job so they will be more attractive to Irish bosses. There is no legal way of dealing with this issue other than to prevent them working here. Also the schools cannot cope with the numbers of children immigrants are bringing in already so how are they going to by importing more?

The "No Nations No Borders" brigade need to get a life.

FutureTaoiseach, If current legisation to protect workers is not enforced and strengthened where necessary then immigrants will be forced to accept wages lower then the minimun-wage, by employers, this could result in dis-placement of Irish workers, so instead of blaming immigrants for this we should pressurise the government to ensure that all workers are protected as a right regardless of them being Irish or immigrant. That is what Sinn Fein is calling for. If employers know they can't exploit immigrant workers then there is no incentive for them to use them, unless that is the only way to fill a skills shortage.

As for your claim that their is no legal way of dealing with this issue, that is ********, what is needed is tougher enforcement of Labour laws and more inspection of workplaces to ensure that all employees are recieving their proper entitlements, in regards to wages, working hours, health & safety etc.

You are missing the point - that even the current minimum-wage represents a sharp fall compared to the salaries of many existing Irish workers. Hence, giving immigrants jobs for the minimum-wage only amounts to another incentive for displacement of Irish workers. It is difficult to see how legislation could deal with this problem. Remember that 91% of Irish staff in Irish Ferries were laid off to be replaced with Latvians working only on the minimum-wage.

I'am not saying that immigrant should have to accept the mininum wage, they should be payed the going rate for the trade/position they are working in, so if someone is employed in the construction industry for example they recieve the standard rate same as other workers in the same trade/position, regardless of them being Irish or immigrant.

Labour is affected by the laws of supply and demand. If the supply of labour is increased by unlimited immigration of poor workers desparate for a job, the going rate for the trade/position they are working in will fall. I have experienced this myself.

Learn basic economics.

[FutureTaoiseach]

I would be okay with the return of Irish emigrants. Remember most of them have already returned home and those of working age will be earning a good wage and therefore the State will be better able to cope with their infrastructural needs but at the same time, low-paid unskilled workers from Eastern Europe and other developing countries will yield less taxation revenue and hence will not compensate the State for the cost of the infrastructural implications of their arrival here. Add to that the implications for traffic-congestion to what I have already said and the picture becomes even more of a nightmare. The govt has tripled funding on health but the problems are still not solved, partly because of immigrant pressures.

If the current system is under pressure because of numbers of population, it is irrelevent wether they are returning Irish or non-Irish immigrants, the governments failure to properly fund infrastructure, is to blame. And your arguement that low-paid unskilled workers from Eastern Europe and other developing countries will yield less taxation revenue is silly, as the same could be said of low payed Irish workers. Everyone who lives in the state pays taxes in one form or another, even the low payed.

As for the government tripling funding for heath, where did this money go to, employing more management level staff, that is not what is needed.

It is relevant whether they are Irish or not because only 20,000 of the 86,000 immigrants last year were returning Irish. Hence it is non-Irish nationals that are placing the population pressures on the infrastructure.