Immigration issue finally gets airing

THE immigration issue has finally got an airing in the battle for Dáil seats in Cork.

At a local level it has been the elephant in the room throughout the campaign with candidates reluctant to take any prominent stance.

However, during a radio debate aired yesterday on 96FM the 14 candidates in Cork South Central were put on the spot.

Billy Curtin of the plasters’ union asked them what was being done to address the growing number of foreign labourers on building sites around the country.

“We have sleepwalked ourselves into a situation where there are Irish workers who cannot get work because of the immigration,” he said.

Before the 2002 election Fianna Fáil’s Noel O’Flynn broke ranks to criticise the number of foreigners coming to Ireland.

This time he has kept quiet on the immigration issue.

During the debate the topic ignited when Ted Neville, a candidate running on the immigration control platform, responded to Mr Curtin’s question.

Mr Neville demanded the main parties take action.

He criticised a recent court case in which an African couple fought deportation on the grounds that they had AIDS.

“We are sending out the wrong message. Most countries screen for AIDS before they come; we are saying if you come to Ireland you can stay if got AIDS,” he said.

However, his comments did not win favour with his rival candidates.

Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin was among the first to grasp the nettle.

“There are millions of people living around the world of Irish descent and we have to remember our responsibilities to those coming to Ireland,” he said.

The resounding consensus from the remaining candidates was that more needed to be done to help those who come over to integrate properly.