Rabbitte defends ‘40 million Poles’ comments

LABOUR leader Pat Rabbitte has defended remarks he made earlier this year that touched on regulation of immigrants and jobs displacement in the workforce.

At the time, he said a work permit regime might be necessary given there were “40 million or so Poles” capable of seeking jobs here. There was internal disquiet within the party following the remarks last January.

In explaining why a work permit scheme might be necessary, Mr Rabbitte said: “The rate of attrition in terms of job losses has been far higher than we have acknowledged. It has been concealed by the scale of the boom.