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

Mentioned at the bottom of this article :

Bad enough that Ryan is actively against many of the key infrastructure projects he's now concerned about, but what we have here is a very obvious case of cause and effect.

More than that though.. Returning to the first part of the article and McEntee's push to extend our "obligations" till 2025 - Under what mandate is this deluded, immature, dangerously underqualified woman, who has been promoted far beyond her ability, operating under to call for such a thing?

Have the people of her constituency called on her to do this? Was there a recent poll where a majority of the electorate called for this? Or is this another solo run by the most unfit minister for Justice we've seen in decades? Who is she representing because it's certainly not the people of this country!

But if you believe Helen and her similarly set-for-life colleagues, none of this is related to pouring billions of euro into supporting anyone who arrives with a sad story, that the resources diverted to support them somehow come from a vacuum or parallel universe to the ones needed by the citizens of this country, that dumping hundreds of people with little to no supports into communities overnight will have no effect on those communities except positive ones, and that continuing to import more when we can't support those already here couldn't possibly go wrong!

But you know what is even more concerning about all this? The changes it's causing to our society where the will and interests of the electorate isn't just being ignored, it's being trampled on.

Want to know how countries start the descent into the much touted "far right" extremism that the media and advocates are screeching about at every opportunity these days? Want to know how normal ordinary people start resenting others around them and actual (not imagined) racism and discrimination increases in a society? Want to see how genuinely extremist candidates and parties are elected in previously reasonable and stable political environments?

Well just stick around folks. Thanks to Helen and her colleagues we're getting a front row seat! I said several years ago on this site that immigration and the effects thereof would become the most important issue in this country and here we are!

It certainly makes you wonder... Why would any politician want to spend more money on something that may not need more spending - i.e the war could be over tomorrow - why are we trying to "extend our Obligations" baffles me anyway.

I don't think we're going to see another Hitler or Stalin in the next election, no.

But we already have various fringe TDs and groups in the Dail. I can certainly see more Independents running on a platform of immigration changes and similar groups being cobbled together once they are elected.

If FF and FG don't respond to this and start representing their constituents and their concerns, these groups (on both sides) will only gain more traction and become more hard-line over time - hence the start of the descent into a place that realistically NO ONE wants to go.

But it's on the incumbents to change that. SF certainly won't and are likely to alienate the centre-right electorate that FF/FG have largely already abandoned even further. Someone else will fill that gap. Not all of them will be reasonable, but they will certainly sound that way to increasingly frustrated and disenfranchised voters.

The next general election is like to be round this time next year, so time is getting short. Are you aware of any such canidates who have announced their intention to run?

The mainstream parties don't take this 'threat' seriously and won't until such groups start winning significant numbers of votes in meaningful elections, or at the very least start registering in a serious way in opinion polls...

I've been hearing talk of a 'gap in the market' on the right for nearly as long as I've been following Irish politics, about 30 years, and nobody has come forward to fill it, so forgive me if I've started to doubt its existence.

Immigration is only the latest focus for it. The event that first crystallised this talk was the 49.999% no vote in the second divorce referendum, despite those voters being completely unrepresented in the political system. There was a widespread expectation of a breakthrough for socially conservative candidates in the subsequent general election, but nothing happened.

The next big thing was euroskepticism; there was supposed to be a massive surge of anger and alienation among the electorate after they were forced to vote twice on two European treaties. Declan Ganley and Libertas had a good go at surfing this wave but ultimately failed, and that tideb gradually receded.

So now again we are being told a huge swathe of the population have been disenfranchised over immigration policy and will be taking their anger out on the political establishment

It is unlikely that there will be any major upsets in the next election (with regards right wing candidates) but is not beyond the realms of possibility in the next decade.

After all, it is only 10 years since Sweden was declaring itself a humanitarian superpower, and only nine since they adopted the worlds first "feminist foreign policy" (their words not mine).

The far right in ireland, at the moment, is made up of a bunch of disparate groups lead by loud, but not very politically savvy representatives.

If a Nigel Farage type character pops up in the meantime, then they could be something to start getting concerned about.

And go on any of their Ukranian/Refugees in Ireland Facebook groups, and many are working full time but all asking about how to get stuff for free. It's insane. There are many who only want to live in cities or say they're saving for houses while getting all the free handouts.

Yeah but they have nothing, including no money, how do they see a doctor without money?

So FF / FG / GP are trying to deliberately bankrupt the country to stick it to SF , if they get in next election ???

Thread has really jumped the shark ! ;)

Yes, I see where you are coming from. Looking back I would have seen many of the comments you make, being made by UK and continental European liberals, mid 2000s. They're not as confident now.

Hard for Ireland to remain an outlier either forever in this increasingly global EU team effort age.

I think whatever government we have will follow also the hardening EU stance towards immigration. Why? Because populations across Europe will support it.

Can I ask a question if these planned 5000000 or so extra people are planned over the next couple of years. Does that include if theres a massive downturn in the economy or it's in the toilet completely. Because what goes up must come down in my opinion. I just dont buy that there will be never ending growth