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

There was a referendum in Australia a few weeks ago about Indigenous rights. It was defeated quite comprehensively (60-40). It was firstly to recognise Australia's first peoples in the constitution and secondly to provide for a constitutional body who would be able to make representations to the Government relating to first people's issues. Before the referendum, the PM (who lives in the constituency that had the 2nd highest yes vote in the country) was warned that the referendum was unlikely to pass because the first part of the referendum was very popular across the country and a referendum on recognition alone would have passed, but that the 2nd part of the referendum (the Voice to Parliament) was quite contentious and was unlikely to meet the difficult requirements for a referendum to pass in Australia (50% of the vote nationally and 50% in at least 4 of the 6 states). As the referendum date came closer, it became clear it was not going to pass but the PM kept making comments along the lines of "it's time to do the right thing" etc.

The referendum passed in electoral districts that are urban, full of relatively well off homeowners (coastal suburbs of Sydney, central Melbourne, Canberra) and got defeated in rural areas in the main. It also got fairly well defeated in constituencies that are full of commuters, renters, people under mortgage stress (western Sydney suburbs for example). When observing this, I was very much reminded of the content of this thread and how this is playing out in Ireland. We currently have a Government of 3 TDs from suburbs like this, where quite a few people have personal circumstances which allow them to focus on social issues rather than figuring out how to pay the next mortgage or rent payment. People outside of the wealthier constituencies cannot relate to this intense focus on social issues and it leads to some of the long term bitterness and rancour we are seeing in this country now against the Government.

There are 2 immediate issues relating to the business of immigration since Roderic O'Gorman and this Government began steering the ship.

1. There is going to be significant long term bitterness against the Government because hard working taxpayers (people paying 46% tax on every euro over 42,000, people who can't afford a house (you can get a house in this country if you earn less than the social housing cutoff point or if you earn over 100k, there are quite a few people in that mid range who will be peeved), people who can't get access to GP services, people stuck commuting long distances especially in Dublin, public service workers on **** money (teachers wondering if it's actual Government policy to make them move to the middle east so they can afford a house deposit and nurses wondering if it's actual Government policy to make them move to New South Wales so they can afford a house deposit) etc. These people aren't living the life of Riley, and are quite frequently under financial stress especially given inflation over the last 2 years, aside from the housing issue. When they see non taxpayers arriving into the country and getting automatic entitlement to accomodation, meals, medical cards, education, transport etc, it does not work out well for the Government. Case in point when Neil Prendeville's interview with Micheal Martin a few weeks back.
2. This Government and the last one have been extremely fortunate in that every year they seem to win the lottery with ever increasing corporation tax windfalls. Despite repeated claims that they can't be relied on and will eventually come to an end, the country has been operating on the basis that they can be relied on. Instead of using one off, windfall money on one off projects like Metro or much needed motorways, the State has been using such money to embark on widening the HSE budget with more permanent spending to cover gross budget mismanagement, or initiatives like this one which is costing 10 figures annually now. If we get a significant reduction in corporation tax payments, where do the budget cuts commence? Do we slash the capital budget like we did in 2011? Do we cancel MetroLink, which is needed to open up vast swathes of land which can be used to build tens of thousands of apartments? Do we cut needed roads projects, which will see people killed annually on desperate stretches of roads? Do we cancel new hospitals etc?

As you can see, I haven't mentioned race or integration or anything like that. I'm just criticising terrible Government policy, which for some reason in this Government gross incompetence is permitted if it's related to a so called woke issue or something to do with the environment. I heard a Government Minister last week defend the policy of having thousands of hotel rooms occupied in certain towns even if small businesses went to the wall. It seems that the absolute mess in the Dept of Integration is being defended by Government ministers wholesale for fear that any criticism of these policies may come across as racist. Like the referendum in Australia, there is a large proportion of the country deeply uncomfortable with these policies. And like here, there will be no shouting and roaring at the rooftops, the shouting and roaring will be done at the ballot box.

It will to a certain extent, there will be more votes for independents and more aggro in the lead up to the election. But as you say, all Government and opposition parties are aligned, which is even more worrying, because some people will vote for Sinn Fein thinking they are an "alternative" and then during the next Government will learn that they are no such thing. Which makes you wonder, what then?

The next election will likely provide an opening for a new movement in Irish politics. It'd be nice if it was an Australian style National party which would advocate for the interests of centre right voters outside of the urban so called woke bubble constituencies, but I fear if it's like the reaction to these policies in other European countries it might be something worse.