Party should rule out discrimination

The Progressive Democrats would describe itself as a “liberal party” which, when it was formed in 1985 by Des O’Malley and Mary Harney, aimed to “break the moulds of Irish politics”.

It is not quite so liberal when it comes to membership of the party which likes to believe it occupies the high moral ground. At least, not if an aspiring member is neither a citizen of Ireland nor of one of our fellow EU states.

Incredibly, when it was founded, into the party’s constitution was written an exclusionary clause which protected the membership from being contaminated by associating with non-Irish or non-EU citizens.

It is about time a party which is a partner in the present coalition Government, and was before, should recognise that discrimination is simply not acceptable.

There are more than 100,000 non-nationals in the country who will be entitled to vote in next year’s local elections but not entitled to join the PDs, even if they were that way politically inclined. Civil rights organisations such as Amnesty International and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties are rightly appalled by this exclusive mentality.

It is hypocritical of Government spokespersons to criticise Portmarnock Golf Club for refusing membership to women, when a partner in that coalition Government has its own policy of discrimination.