Coalition is anti-Irish, says councillor

A senior Fianna Fáil councillor said Irish people seeking social housing were being told to “go home to mammy” while non-nationals were getting housed as soon as they “breezed” into the country.

Kevin Sheahan made the remark at a Limerick County Council meeting yesterday as he called on the Government to take a lead from the Conservative party’s anti-immigration policies in the UK.

Fine Gael and Labour members stormed out of the monthly council meeting when Mr Sheahan persisted in his demand for a notice of motion to be sent to the Department of the Environment calling for an Irish-first policy to be drawn up for social housing.

He accused Fine Gael and Labour of being anti-Irish and asked: “What about Michael from Shanagolden who needs a house?”

He said: “We only do it when the English government do it. The English government have now said if you are a non-national you have to be in the country five years. But we house non-nationals straight away.

“It will become a serious mistake if it does not become a crisis. We should put our people first and I say that unapologetically.

“We should put our own people first. Our economy is tight and we can ill-afford to do anything else. We need the policy along the lines passed in England.”

A young mother who came to him for help was told to “go home to mammy” with her baby when she sought social housing, Mr Sheahan claimed. They ended up in a box room in the small family home.

Mr Sheahan demanded the department adopt a more Christian attitude to Irish people seeking to be housed.