Mick Clifford: Irresponsible rhetoric from some Independent TDs is adding fuel to the fire

Various speeches give the impression that government are acting contrary to the wishes of the vast majority of citizens for some nefarious reason

Authorities move asylum seekers who had been sleeping in tents on Mount Street in central Dublin, beside the city's International Protection Office. Picture: PA 

Something very ugly is going to happen if things keep going as they are now. Recent incidents include the gathering of men in balaclavas with offensive posters at the home of Minister Roderic O’Gorman. The family of Justice Minister Helen McEntee had to be evacuated from their home on foot of a bomb warning. Last weekend, a clip of a racist thug abusing former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar as he sat enjoying a coffee went across social media. A threat to the life of Paul Murphy, the People Before Profit TD, was daubed on a wall near his home. For the first time since he was elected Taoiseach, there was a gathering of people with placards outside the home of Simon Harris.

Violent rhetoric on social media is one of the agents driving the heightened and unfocused anger that leads to this stuff. Currently, much of this anger is directed at challenges in accommodating asylum seekers. This has been manipulated by a small group intent on spreading hatred but a fair share of it has now entered mainstream society. To the greatest extent, this hatred is based on lies and distortions.

So much for social media. But how many distortions and untruths are being disseminated in the national parliament? Last Wednesday there was a private members motion in the Dáil on the subject of the EU pact on asylum and migration. The government is intent on opting into the pact, which most agree is designed to limit the number of asylum seekers entering the EU. Human rights groups are opposed on the basis that the provisions will impact basic rights for those applying for international protection, many of whom are fleeing war and persecution. Then, on the right, others suggest that the pact will impact this country’s “sovereignty”.

As this state is a member of the EU, it is open to citizens of the other twenty-six countries in the union to come and go as they please. It is difficult to see how having another basic agreement with those countries about the movement of people within the union is diluting sovereignty. Still, these things should be up for debate as long as such debate can take place without it being used to harvest cheap votes by feeding into the rhetoric of hate.

'Open borders'

To that extent, Wednesday’s Dáil debate was both interesting and worrying. Firstly, the position of Sinn Féin was noteworthy. For the last month or so, as tensions ramped up over the issue at hand, all Sinn Féin contributions on this subject began with the line: “Sinn Féin is opposed to open borders”. This was a dog whistle to those who spread the lie that we have open borders in this state and not a rules-based system. It represents a major shift for the party towards the intolerant right.

On Wednesday, five Sinn Féin members contributed to the debate, and not one mentioned “open borders”. This is to be welcomed. It may be attributable to the recent revelations about asylum seekers’ free movement across the border in this country. Or it could be that the party wants to ramp down the rhetoric at a time when it could become dangerous.

No such concerns were evident among some of the independents. Here, the rhetoric is designed to pander rather than address fears, with absolutely no thought about ripples that spread far and wide. In fact, some of the stuff being spouted is designed specially to be shared on social media.

The government is “imposing large-scale immigration on a local population”, according to Offaly TD Carol Nolan. 

Carol Nolan TD.

It has a “steadfast adherence to an open-door asylum seeker policy, which is being enforced without taxpayer consultation or input, thereby raising serious democratic and financial concerns.” There is no factual basis for any of this and the idea that government should consult with citizens — or taxpayers as Ms Nolan terms them — on every action is simply ludicrous.

Here’s Independent TD Michael Collins: “When it comes to this issue of an asylum pact, it is a deal done by a dirty government and it will not be forgotten by the people” 

Is the suggestion that those in cabinet, those dirty ministers, are beholden to external forces or groups rather than the electorate? Does Deputy Collins wish to propagate some conspiracy theory that ministers are deceiving the Irish people on this emotive topic for some nefarious reason?

Michael Healy-Rae TD.

Michael Healy-Rae spoke of a “frightening statistic” of the number of asylum seekers in the UK. The deputy said that “billions is being spent” on immigration. He didn’t mention the frightening statistic that as a landlord he has received €650,000 from the billions to accommodate Ukrainian refugees.

Limerick TD Richard O’Donoghue began his contribution with this: “People in this country are scared. They are scared about what the government has done and about the lack of information available to them.” The government could certainly be accused of incompetence, but Deputy O’Donoghue appears to be saying something has been “done” to the people, which is scaring everybody. Are you scared?

Danny Healy-Rae said the people he represents are “very worried about the (EU) pact”. Why would they be really worried about it one way or the other unless they are encouraged to be so? He also believes that refugees are getting preferential treatment to local people.

“I have no problem in the world (with refugees) but we have to be fair to our own people and give the same benefits to our own people.” And on it went in the same vein. Earlier, Mattie McGrath compared An Garda Síochána to the B-Specials and a “gang” after the clashes that occurred last week in Newtownmountkennedy.

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There is no doubt that these politicians are reflecting what they hear from voters, maybe a few, maybe more than a few, but every vote counts. They will deny that they are feeding into an atmosphere that has got noticeably uglier. All they are doing is representing “the people”. They have no interest in explaining to voters that some of the irrational fears and the whacky conspiracy theories are lies being disseminated by elements who want to fashion a society far removed from a liberal democracy.

Instead, their various speeches give the impression that government, and possibly most political parties, are acting contrary to the wishes of the vast majority of citizens for some nefarious reason. Surely, right now, coming from the national parliament, that is highly irresponsible.