Asylum seekers - Hunger strike protest was well handled

THE Garda Siochána deserve enormous credit for the professional way in which they brought the occupation of St Patrick’s Cathedral to a satisfactory conclusion on Saturday night.

At times, the whole thing threatened to boil over and could have had catastrophic consequences.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell’s judgement was vindicated in this instance. He was articulate in arguing yesterday that our system in relation to asylum seekers is good, fair, and transparent, and he noted that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been very complimentary about the way in which this country handles the problem.