Mick Clifford: Mind your language, Mary Lou

Mary Lou McDonald is aware of the dangers of loose language and sending out signals that can be misinterpreted at such a sensitive time.

Let’s talk about talk. Last Tuesday in the Dáil, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald opened Leaders’ Questions with a query about housing Ukrainians fleeing Putin’s war. By accident or design she conflated their plight with that of those in this country who are at the sharp end of the housing crisis.

“Not content with denying our own people the right to an affordable, secure roof over their heads, the government now extends its catastrophic failure to those coming to Ireland seeking humanitarian assistance,” she stated.

In replying, Taoiseach Micheál Martin picked up on the phrase ‘our own people’. “I know what that was targeted at,” he said. “I know why that phrase was used ... she is playing both sides in this debate and I regret that she is.”

The response was met with cries of righteous indignation from Ms McDonald’s colleagues, as might be expected. But was Mr Martin being unfair?

‘Our own people’ is a phrase that in the current context has taken on a toxic potency. There is a major issue right now in housing thousands of people fleeing Putin’s war, along with those fleeing all forms of conflict and pestilence from the developing world. We are literally running out of beds. Some who have arrived in recent weeks have spent their first nights in an expectant sanctuary actually sleeping on the streets.

Changing narrative

In such an environment, the narrative among the public at large is going through a change. In an Irish Times/IPSOS poll published yesterday, 61% of respondents felt there were “too many refugees coming here”. Compassion fatigue has set in as it was always bound to do. Efforts to expand accommodation by, for instance, erecting modular homes, are being met with resistance. Why, some are asking, can’t we sort out our own people first? Why, others whisper, are we going to all this trouble when our own people are homeless?

Here’s Danny Healy-Rae in the Dáil this week. “I am calling for a frank and open debate on the impact and effect the very significant number of refugees and asylum seekers coming into this country is having on our services, be it doctors, social welfare offices, hospitals, education. Our own people cannot get in to social walfare offices.”

On Morning Ireland on Wednesday, local councillor in Claremorris, Co Mayo, Richard Finn, was asked about plans to build 28 modular homes in the town in response to the emergency. Cllr Finn said there were plans for “80 luxury apartments” on the same site. “I wouldn’t want to be looking out on modular homes,” he said of any prospective buyer. “I regard it (the siting of the modular homes) as Putinism. We talk about Putin imposing his will on Ukrainian people. I find it no different than going around the country and doing this.”

He was asked what would happen if the plans went ahead. “If it’s taken further people will take action,” he said. The upset that Cllr Finn is conveying is understandable, but spoiling the view for new homes must be put in the context of the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since the 1940s.

The radio reporter did a voxpop in downtown Claremorris about the unfolding situation. “A lot of people in this town are looking for flats,” one man said. “We need to look after our own.”

Over in Ballina municipal council, Fine Gael councillor John O’Hara called on hotels to make some beds available for non-refugees who might like a night out. “Say if you’ve to go to a place and you’ve to go four miles out the road to get accommodation and get a taxi, and you mightn’t even get a taxi, why would you go to it?” he said. “The Ukrainians are grand,” he added. “They are welcome and they are very unfortunate but there’s nothing left here.”

Nothing left here? Has Putin been pummelling Ballina with his missiles?

Similar tones were struck at Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael parliamentary party meetings during the week. Politicians are reflecting on what they are picking up. The mood is changing and in such a milieu leadership is at a premium. If there is a choice it is to either attempt to continue to fulfil our humanitarian and EU obligations or to cut loose and declare we’ve enough of providing for those fleeing wars because the country is straining under pressure and the welcome is now impinging on our quality of life. For anybody leading or aspiring to lead the country, that is no choice at all.

Loose language

Against such a background, Ms McDonald referencing ‘our own people’ should be viewed. She was reading from a script so it wasn’t off the cuff. Earlier this year she had to defend Sinn Féin TD Padraig MacLoughlainn for using the same phrase in a similar context. She has also had to defend Kildare South TD Patricia Ryan for sending a letter warning of a risk of conflict between Ukrainian refugees and locals if the community did not receive support. So Ms McDonald is aware of the dangers of loose language and sending out signals that can be misinterpreted at such a sensitive time.

That’s the problem with leadership. 

Now and again, it requires that negative public sentiment is not surfed but instead addressed calmly for the greater good, even at the cost of short-term popularity. 

The leadership qualities of Micheál Martin and Leo Varadkar can justly be criticised in many aspects of their respective stewardship, but not on this. Mr Martin has been resolute and clear about our obligations. Mr Varadkar addressed the concerns of his TDs on Wednesday by saying Ireland had to be “on the right side of history” when the Ukrainian plight is studied in years to come.

Ms McDonald should take note. One, but by no means the only, element of her party’s ascent in the last three years can be ascribed to a willingness to surf every wave of discontent, promising that there is always an easier way. That’s grand for the bread-and-butter stuff of politics. In this instance, it can be dangerous. If the leader sends out the wrong signals, then in the current environment it’s a free-for-all for everybody else in a party.

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Was Mr Martin unfair in characterising Ms McDonald’s comments last Tuesday as a dog whistle of sorts? Maybe she’s entitled to the benefit of the doubt on this occasion. But she would do well to take a lot more care with her responsibilities, particularly if she aspires to lead the country in the near future.