I won’t bow to asylum threats, says Ahern

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern last night insisted he would not give-in to “threats” from hunger-striking Afghans in St Patrick’s Cathedral as that would lead to a wave of similar church protests across Ireland.

Mr Ahern said there would be no negotiations and warned the Government would not tolerate a situation similar to the one in Belgium where 20 churches are being used to highlight deportation fears.

The Taoiseach’s hard-line stance was attacked as hypocritical by Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins in light of Mr Ahern’s high-profile demands for up to 50,000 Irish illegals in the US to be regularised there.