Immigration and Ireland - MEGATHREAD *Mod Note Added 02/09/25*

The ironic thing is that we did not have to sign up to this most recent pact as we had an opt-out. Now that we have opted in in 2004, it will take a unanimous decision by the EU members to allow us to leave it again. We voluntarily took on what is now an obligation.

Was she challenged? (I didn't see it but can guess the answer)

Fine Fail (yes that is what they are now) are always the last in Europe to smell the coffee.

I have nothing against immigrants or refugees coming in if we actually had the accomodation to give them or they were able to afford their own accomodation.

But we don't have the accomodation, and there's absolutely no point in anybody trying to kid anybody else that we do.

And we need to stop the chancers who were refused refugee status in the UK coming in via Larne and chancing their arm in Dublin. That really has to stop. It's taking the piss and making our Government look like idiots. There are websites dedicated to giving these chancers a step by step guide on how to become a "refugee" in Ireland.

Of course the liberals bible that is The Journal have an article on it this morning.

Holly is very selective about what she talks about when it comes to immigration into Ireland.

If the time ever comes when either the SDs or Labour gets a say on immigration policy then it will be a dark day for the country.

And ironically it will be Dublin, the city where the party is most successful in elections that will suffer the most under these policies.

Interesting article by David McWilliams in today's Irish Times, https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025/11/08/irelands-focus-should-not-be-pensions-for-the-old-but-homes-for-the-young/

Relying on more immigration to pay the bills might come at a heavy cost. This is in the context of the government's own admission that Ireland's housing crisis is likely to persist until at least 2040, at the expense of our young Irish citizen's who will be forced to emigrate.

Not challenged at all. Another thing that she wasn't challenged on was her criticism of Harris' language regarding immigration, any interviewer worth their salt would have asked her what language she thought was acceptable to make the point Harris made. Which of course she couldn't have answered, because Cairns and her ilk don't just want language like Harris' to be used, they don't want the view to be aired at all.

Cliff Taylor though in the Irish Times a week or two ago (another economist) challenged David's analysis that Ireland may not need high immigration of legal migrant workers going forward. He points out that the Irish population is getting older and will still need a large working population in the next couple of decades to drive the economy forward (especially with the forthcoming challenges from the developing countries in the southern hemisphere).

He admits that it is a fine and difficult balancing act (vis-a-vis housing and infrastructure etc), but suggests that the idea that Ireland could still be a wealthy country with a smaller workforce and more people living on welfare and pensions is very questionable.

I don't read this thread anymore, it's like nails down a chalk board. But now that govt are far right, and have themselves said the quiet parts out loud that many here have have said, what now?

Is the tea boy and mehole first against the wall in you sjw marxist wet dreams?

Or maybe you're a good boy or girl at accepting narrative. Maybe now you raise an eyebrow and speak in hushed tones about how the numbers are too high and sure eight out of ten are grifters.

Or maybe an apology to the many on here who called the scam for what it was and had deal with the filth being slung at them.

So this is it, if our two serfs in power had said what they did a mere Yr before they'd be universally rounded upon. But there's no denying it anymore, keeping Brussels happy can't happen if your not in power eh!

So it's all a scam and a select few were to get rich and build tall gates. The rest were far right and to be castigated. Oh how the tables are turning.

Of course it is a balancing act, a policy of no immigration or unlimited immigration are both untenable, the answer lies in between. But there has to be some discussion of what are the things that you are trying to balance and an end to the pretence that immigration and housing demand are not connected.

For sure and nobody is arguing that Taylor is right and McWilliams is wrong or vice versa. It's a fine balancing act and means a series of trade offs: every successful economy needs large numbers of workers, but also needs to be able to provide housing, infrastructure and services for its population. There are no easy answers and the question for any government is how to get the balance right (and to accept that there will be downsides no matter which option they choose).

Cairns allowed to spread disinformation live on the late late show last night, she should be taken to task about this, spouting unverified and lies seems to be par for the course for Irish politicians..

All I'm hearing about is another building and another building being opened as an IPAS centre. It is just nuts. A seaside village in north Donegal where house prices have gone bonkers is the latest location. Nama apartments being converted basically. I can barely afford to visit there on a day trip, never mind stay overnight. Buying a house there is just completely out of the window.

This has completely got out of hand and is all about the transfer of wealth. There is no humanity involved, certainly not to local Irish people anyway. Infuritating.

This is like one giant game of Monopoly for owning IPAS property and being paid a fortune. The more you own, the more money you make.

Anyone who supports this, I dunno. In a chronic housing crisis, seriously.

It is very important to know that although 80% of AS are, correctly, refused, the vast majority of those people get to stay in the country.

There have been 160,000 - 180,000 asylum applicants over the last 20 years or so.

Have there been (160,000) * (0.80) = 128,000 deportations? Obviously not.

The vast majority of failed AS are allowed to stay, and that is my main complaint about the system.

They are given leave-to-remain.

They are not genuine, they have not qualified, yet we let them stay.

That must be a huge pull-factor.

The costs imposed on the taxpayers are in the billions.

Although I think the SocDems are a bonkers open borders party, they have never been in Govt.

So the blame for allowing approx. 150,000 bogus AS to stay here lies with FF and FG, and especially the Greens.