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

110% correct.

The EU need a plan. Ireland needs a plan. We are only tinkering now.

"People being dumped" is disgraceful language. Dehumanizing. Do better.

The response by sligoblue was made to an ignorant, bigoted post by freebritney who was rightly corrected. Freebritney's post was nothing related to a respectful commentary on controlled immigration, it was dog whistling about foreigners in rural Mayo towns. Ireland's lack of planning and development in the area of international protection applicants is coming back to bite it in the ass now. We had a problem 10 years ago and it is being exacerbated now by the severe lack of housing. There are lots of jobs for these people but they must be allowed to get a PPS number and work, not kept in purgatory for years on end which has been the policy up to now.

What have the GAA clubs done to encourage them to join? I play hurling and football for my local club (Junior C at my age!) and I have seen plenty of instances of racism both on the field and on the sideline. I am heavily involved in my rural club but I have often seen the "black lads" targeted when they came in from mainly urban clubs. I am not saying everyone in the club in racist but it definitely exists. It's a problem in the GAA but I suppose you'll get ignorant mentalities in many organisations. My GAA club is more likely to organise a prayer service to solve the immigration crisis than a meeting to integrate "foreigners"!

Where was I called out? A lad who left the area 30 years ago spouting shite about people making fun of brightly coloured clothes. I never said a single bad word against anyone in Ballaghaderreen or Ballyhaunis. I simply said if you change a towns demographics by a large amount it changes that community and it has. Neither you nor the other poster has pointed out one thing that I said that is racist or was untrue.

Ballyhaunis organised buses from the accommodation centre to collect the kids for training and matches, they went out of their way to get them involved https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/gaa-club-s-integration-policy-pays-off-in-ireland-s-most-ethnically-diverse-town-1.2237262, The article was written in 2015 and its been such a success that the club has amalgamated at underage level due to poor numbers. What's your first response though, attack the local community, they're racists, let's blame them.

This clown speaking in 2014. "we simply cannot expect to provide for the vast number of economic migrants who seek a better life." "It would be wrong for us to pretend otherwise,". Up there with, mental murphy as hypocrites. Was it 14th count he got elected. He won't run again. His political career over thank God. Fool of a man.

Yep. Ok, let's see what our options are for who might implement such a model after the next general election...

Uh oh..

The options are depressing to look at.

The meat factory in Balla closed 20 years ago. If you don't know that then your hardly an expert speaker on the place.

I was going to save that for later. I know his type, left the area 30/40 years ago and has no idea what things are like now. I love how someone in Roscrea/Donegal or Mayo tells people what things are like only for some lad in London or Dublin who couldn't find your town on a map tells you your wrong.

The original meat factories in Ballyhaunis and Ballaghaderreen was owned by a Pakistani man who brought in staff from there for the halal slaughter process. This is the 1980's. The difference then though was that there was few family's with them, just men sharing houses. Men doing hard work and keeping a low profile. The families only started arriving in the 2000's and plenty of them are unemployed.

The reason I was told by numerous club members and officials from both clubs was that the local kids started to go to surrounding schools because the town schools had such large numbers. The kids then made friends in those schools and if the school was in the catchement of a different club the kids went with their friends unless their parents had strong ties to the town club. It's not sinister, I'm not far right, I'm just sharing the experience I see happening locally. All I've been trying to say all along is that large scale immigration into rural areas has consequences, some good, some bad.

You're so sensitive. Where did I say the 2 GAA clubs in Mayo were racist? See above and point it out. I was referring to instances I have seen in my very rural club. A bad chairman can ruin a club.

Why don't you tell me why the immigrants won't play GAA in those Mayo clubs? You're the local. Are there other sports available or more popular e.g. soccer.

People being dumped (and accurate description) is dehumanising and disgraceful. But calling somebody bigoted, ignorant, racist, far right etc if they question it is fair game.

If it wasn't so serious it would be comical.

I had a look at Farmers Alliance website and policies yesterday. Looks decent. An option for sure but they will need decent candidates.