Child victims of racist politics
And if I, as an EU citizen, wish to travel anywhere within the EU, I cannot do so without my passport.
Yet the Minister for Justice tells us that heavily pregnant non-nationals can simply stream into Ireland in order to give birth and claim EU citizenship for their children. If this is true, it makes a good argument for tightening the immigration procedure. It is not, in my opinion, a valid reason for diminishing our citizenship laws.
Apparently the real reason Mr McDowell is proposing to water down Irish citizenship is because Brussels doesn't like the status quo. He is merely gambling on us being as xenophobic as the media and opinion polls portray us.
Our citizenship laws have long been out of step with those of other EU member states. So what? Perhaps we should be urging those other states to come into line with our more rational and just system rather than exhibiting signs of small-nation syndrome. If Mr McDowell succeeds in taking citizenship away from Irish-born children, what implications will that have for the numerous Americans, South Africans, et al, claiming Irish citizenship on the strength of having one Irish-born grandparent? Are they more entitled to use Ireland as a gateway to the EU than children actually born here?
The Government appears to have calculated that holding the referendum in tandem with the European and local elections will muzzle the opposition parties. If we are as racist as the media suggest, the opposition will be afraid of alienating voters by being seen to protect non-nationals. The Government was greatly misguided by opinion polls on the first Nice Treaty referendum. Have they miscalculated again?
I sincerely hope so, and I hope the main opposition parties will show moral leadership on this fundamental and very important issue.
Paul Gorry,
Church Lane,
Baltinglass,
Co Wicklow.
