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

Our house is full, bedrooms or boxrooms as Simon likes to call them, occupied with adult children who can't afford rentals. Rental costs that have rocketed due to rapidly increasing demands on it, fuelled by both legal immigration and asylum seekers/ refugees, landlords getting €800 min for a room tax free etc etc. That's one of the self serving reasons why I'm opposed to the current situation and it's a bloody good reason.

So how about your place, how are you fixed. Since you and others think it's a great idea to have all these people rock up and get their papers, will you find space for them? That's a very fair question.

"more fencing will be required"

Waterways Ireland are worried about the impact on the canal of the lack of sanitation facilities but obviously they also want to see the fencing gone.

"A spokesperson said it is continuing to work with multi-agency partners in the best interests of all concerned and will consult with agency partners and local residents regarding the replacement of the temporary fencing with ecologically sensitive landscaping solutions appropriate to the canal corridor and surrounding cityscapes.

“This is a very dynamic and sensitive situation and a timeline for completion of these landscaping works is not currently available,” they added."

To save the canal both ecologically and as an amenity there will have to be an acknowledgement on the part of the government that this is a permanent situation and the landscaping of the area will have to change in response. I suppose some sort of hedging or planting to prevent people camping with just space for a few benches??

So that’s the long term plan then, just keep adding eye sore fencing everywhere rather than do anything to reduce the unsustainable numbers coming in

So seems the machines have moved into Clonmel, shame to see the lack of people protesting this, but after the election I shouldn't really be surprised either.

I dunno about that - the winds of change are a blowin. The vote for Independents is well up and FF/FG can waffle all they like over who has the biggest d**k but they know too that there is deep dissatisfaction and it'll blow their way as well.

Look hard at what is happening in France & Germany.

I do enjoy your posts I’ve seen on here and I think you make some great points. I don’t know if I would take people not starting threads on an issue as proof that they don’t care though. Besides some people are only realising recently just how bad things are. I suppose uncontrolled mass immigration and men in tents on the streets of Dublin is bringing some of those issues to light

I used to work in that area as well. Always used to think of Patrick Kavanagh, We may have to change the words of 'On Raglan Road soon' ……… there's a tradition in Irish music of giving new words to old tunes. After all Kavanagh put his words to the tune of Fáinne Geal an Lae -

'On Raglan Road, on a summer's day

I saw the tents and knew ……….'

Anybody care to finish the stanza?

Aw here we go — another session of shoving words into my mouth. Firstly, I don't think it's a "great idea" to have refugees / asylum seekers "rock up and get their papers". I've never said anything of the sort. It is simply the outcome of a global geopolitical reality that we have to find ways to manage and control as best we can — and most often is a pretty negative thing.

To your other point, I live in a tiny one bedroom flat with my girlfriend as we save up for a deposit. But I'm not going to hide behind that — even if I had the space I'd be very reluctant to take anyone into my home. But judging the integrity of people's views on other people by a measure of "would you take them into your own home" is a cynical moral threshold that practically nobody could consistently attain. I watch the Derek Blighe-types on Twitter asking people this as if it were the biggest hole-in-one 'GOTCHA!!' of all time. They don't of course apply this same moral integrity threshold to themselves as regards the people they claim to champion and be terribly concerned about — the young Irish people stuck in financial limbo or indeed the Irish people on the streets or in crap temporary lodgings somewhere.

Privacy and the quiet enjoyment of your property is a thing in life. If someone advocates compassion for the homeless, I'm not going to call them a hypocrite for simultaneously not wishing to take a random homeless person into their own home. So I don't know why you're throwing that moral standard at me as if I'm throwing it at anyone else.

Yah fair enough. But if an argument is consistently advanced that the state must live up to it's supposed international obligations and that we must accept anyone who arrives on our fair shores, then the proposers of that argument must accept the consequences and the challenges of how we accommodate, feed, employ, service, pay these people.

I've stated that I have self serving reasons why I'm opposed to the current situation and they are very good reasons. It affects us as a family and it has affected my business. Just like it has affected many voters who turned away from political parties who propose the laissez faire arguments you propose.

So if you or others are going to defend the government policies and actions, then it's up to you and others to give sensible solutions.

Thats a good thing there isn't enough ladyboys in Ireland.

I'd say if they've a phone and clothes that cost several months' rent of hard working people and they have a few grand to pay a trafficker - they're no more a genuine refugee than I am a Spitfire pilot.

I'm quite happy for anybody to peacefully protest. I just think this might be a good time for the anti-immigration movement to reflect on their approach around rioting, assaulting gardai, vigilante road blocks, intimidation and arson.

I think it hasn't gone down well with the voters. It also looks a bit silly when you're all pretending to be concerned about security and shortages, yet take part in these protests, which are regularly dangerous and waste scarce Garda resources.

I agree.. voting for extremes and bringing US type left v right politics here is depressing . That is why centrist parties like FF and FG keep getting votes in Ireland . There is no appetite for drama in this country .

Many of these elected candidates in the locals and EP are voted for on a personal basis so people will vote for what affects them personally and candidates they know .

I don't think it can be classified as older , settled people vs younger, I and others of us have said we all have children/ young adults living at home, so all , young and old , have a vested interest in housing .

The difference is that not everybody feels that asylum seekers and refugees , while it is a poorly handled situation , is the reason our children are still living at home . Most older people can see this problem has been developing over the last 14 years and the hands off approach by consecutive housing ministers along with no priority being given to its solution by government has led us to this .

This is the main issue in the next GE and Simon Harris is very correct in noting that a good Locals and EP elections are not an indicator for a future GE . They cannot afford to be complacent . They will have to get the finger out now and try to pull off a pretty amazing turnaround somehow to affect change .

If anything the electorate's very firm rejection of the recent referendum shows the nuanced and maturity of the Irish people and has given this government a good reason to be nervous .

"I think lack of education around immigration is a big issue."

That is the same old patronising Pat Paddy on the Head stuff. Same as uttered by our esteemed leaders in government, most of those in opposition and those who have skin in the game in terms of advocating for immigration.

There needs to be a real and genuine acceptance that many citizens have real and genuine cause for concern over the direction of our society. Not just flaccid lip service as in 'sure we know there are concerns but it's like this, yous don't really understand what we're doing and why blah blah etc etc'

There are many citizens who see & understand very well indeed. And who don't need to be patronised with claptrap.

It's not even a lack of education, it's the constant lying about it all. Asylum seekers will pay for our pensions, they don't put a strain on housing or other services, etc.