Prioritising our own is not very Christian

I was shocked to read Cllr Kevin Sheahan believes a “more Christian attitude” to social housing would be to prioritise Irish claimants at the expense of immigrants (26/03).

The Bible seems to state an exactly opposite attitude. Instead, Deuteronomy 10:19 reads: “God shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.”

I am not a Catholic but perhaps Mr Sheahan is. His outgoing Pope declared in Caritas in Veritate: “Every migrant is a human person who, as such, possesses fundamental, inalienable rights that must be respected by everyone and in every circumstance.” I could go on at length. Immigrants are increasingly subject to this kind of reactionary speech. Emigration is often the only option for people around the world today. Ireland knows this too well.

Mr Sheahan has made a bad argument worse by claiming falsely that it reflects Christian attitudes. I look forward to him withdrawing the remarks, apologising and going back to the work of providing services to everyone resident in this land.

Kevin Hargaden

Maynooth

Co Kildare