Time for a zero refugee policy? - *Read OP for mod warnings and threadbans - updated 11/5/24*

As I've mentioned before, I think it would be nigh on impossible for SF to pivot to being an anti-immigration party. They describe themselves as left wing and as a "social justice" party.

Bizarrely though, from recent polls it seems that many SF voters are anti-immigration....as if they expect (or want) SF to be some sort of right wing Irish nationalist party instead of a left wing one.

No, they are not " the root cause".

War, persecution, torture, and inequality are the root cause.

And scam and fraud artists.

Wonder can any of these new arrivals of which €3 billion is allocated for next year help with the childrens scoiliosis waiting lists?

€3 billion.

They still come the fines 1500 euro are obviously not big enough !! I assume at least they get the passenger details as some refuse to state their nationality and use false names .

https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/ireland-cracks-down-airlines-staggering-30261502?utm_source=irish_mirror_newsletter&utm_campaign=daily_newsletter2&utm_medium=email

Not if they are a true left wing socialist party.

They are called a populist party by most commentators, all the time.

So IF they are, a populist party, I am saying, we will see a pivot to anti immigration.

If not I will be the first to say..

"fair enough, can take you seriously so. "

But Sinn Fein saying there are too many refugees would make them sound more like right wing nationalist parties such as the former UKIP in Britain, the Front Nationale in France, AfD in Germany etc. It would be a very strange direction for them to go in given their history and roots.

Sorry Jinglejangle the government doesn't seem to care about scoliosis or other children on waiting lists as much as it does bringing in people new to the parish. My understanding of scoliosis is that there is a timeline for treating it otherwise it gets worse, am I correct. If it affects someone you know, have you heard of the treatment abroad scheme? Maybe that could work.

This IS an emotive issue. No question.

It is a very difficult and painful process for the children and the families.

As a nurse myself I have seen and looked after those children and I agree in part with what you and jinglejangle are saying. ie. that delays in scoliosis surgery cannot be tolerated.

However, it is a staffing issue... theatre /ICU/ specialised Investigative tech , and it is a matter of lack of specialised nursing care. None of these are solved quickly nor by throwing money at it. Training and recruitment and increasing Paeduatric ICU beds with all the expertise that is needed takes time. Thats the problem. Not money.

But the money is there. It IS ringfenced for these surgeries.

But it is totally and completely unrelated to the subject of refugees and however much they are costing the state.

People here have brought housing, GP services, disability care, homeless, university students, all into the discussions here at different stages, and fair enough, we can all see effects from refugees on these areas.

But using children with scoliosis is not only completely irrelevant to the discussion, it is a low blow using these children to further an anti refugee debate.

You can give me any anecdote you want, but this is one that is totally unrelated.

I am not buying it as a valid discussion point here on this thread from either of you.

There will be lots who will, and you will get lots of thanks, but its not on topic, and as far as I am concerned, not on.

Just using an emotive subject, sick children, to score points.

What is the link between this and refugees? Is there evidence available that money or staffing that would have otherwise absolutely been dedicated to ensuring the swift performance of these surgeries were instead devoted to refugees?

On another note...I recently returned to work after my maternity leave, to work in my Special Class. I was Livid to find out that none of our children with autism were allowed to be integrated into Mainstream classes as they normally would as there was 'no space' because our class sizes had increased by 20-25% because of all the Ukrainian children we took in.

I was told parents had to be told it was for Covid reasons and not the above!

So we have to look after one group of people who were here a wet weekend and shaft another group who have their own special needs.

It would not have happened if I was in the school and is basically discrimination to my special needs children.

Seriously, people need to cop on to this and wise up. It's like some people can't link up A with B.

No one nationality is more important then any other nationality.