ANALYSIS: Nuala Haughey, Social and Racial Affairs Correspondent, joins Áine Ní Chonaill on a canvass in Dublin
Áine Ni Chonaill's election spiel goes like this: "We are worried about the asylum issue. We feel there's a need for more control. We are not getting a say and there's a need for a voice in the Dáil."
The Cork teacher is travelling far to bring her message to the Dublin South Central constituency where she is running as an Independent candidate on the single issue of a tightening of asylum and immigration policy.
She spent last weekend canvassing voters and facing down the vigorous negative campaigning of Anti-Fascist Action and Residents Against Racism who are distributing leaflets saying Ní Chonaill's Immigration Control Platform is intent on increasing racial tensions in the area.
As she canvassed door-to-door last Saturday night at the former corporation houses along Keeper Road in Drimnagh, Ms Ní Chonaill's presence prompted many voters to voice concerns about asylum-seekers.
But there were those too who muttered about feeling guilty for agreeing with her sentiments or stated baldly that they believed her policies to be racist. The candidate is used to being called racist, an accusation she takes on the chin.
"The idea that immigration control equates with racism is an idiocy but it's an idiocy that seems to have been propagandised," she says.
"You can talk about health and education but this is the one area where you aren't able to have your say without being called a nasty name," she told one woman.
Ms Ní Chonaill approaches her subject with academic rigour and, unlike some other politicians, does not use hype or emotional language to support her views. She is brimming with facts and figures about the annual increase in asylum applications from 500 in 1995 to more than 10,000 last year.
Her election leaflet points out that when Minister John O'Donoghue boasted that he expects to deport 600 people this year, there was no one in the Dáil to say: "This represents 6 per cent of the annual influx. Some boast!"
On the doorsteps in Drimnagh, however, Ms Ní Chonaill's sympathisers were not so well informed. Patrick, who was in his 30s, said, "they all seem to be driving cars" and he had heard they were getting "socialising money" from the State.
Ms Ní Chonaill corrected him, saying this was not the case. He continued: "They all seem to be driving. Every couple that you see has two or three kids and the women are pregnant."
"Oh, they know about our citizenship laws," replied the candidate.
Patrick said genuine refugees had a right to be here, "but the majority are economic migrants".
At another house, Ms Ní Chonaill met Ms Mary Corrigan, who along with her husband are declared supporters. Ms Corrigan stood at her front gate, saying the candidate was "definitely right, 100 per cent or more". She talked about how the Irish migrant in England and America worked hard and how she sees "so many of them that you would think it was Beirut".
"They're very aggressive, aren't they?" she said finally, searching the candidate's face for a reaction.
"I'm not going to classify them at all," replied Ms Ní Chonaill. "All I want is for them to ask for permission to be here."
At another door a middle-aged woman stood in her hall in large fluffy slippers and inquired of Ms Ní Chonaill: "It's about the people coming in? The coloured people?"
There were "coloured" people living next door for the past six months, she continued. "They don't do the garden or anything, but they are nice people," she said. The woman totally disagreed with the fact that there was no mandatory health screening for asylum-seekers who could be bringing in diseases. "That's very important and there's so many diseases. Have you thought about that yourself?"
"It's not something I have put an emphasis on," replied Ms Ní Chonaill, before recounting how migrants to Canada have to undergo strict health checks.
We entered the adjacent garden and the door was answered by a young child. Fingering the leaflets in her left hand, Ms Ní Chonaill inquired whether anyone in the house had a vote in the elections. The Nigerian man at the door didn't seem to understand. "It's only to do with people who have a vote in the Irish general election," she explained before moving on to the next house.
So how does Ms Ní Chonaill feel about the fact that those voters who have sympathy with her cause seemed to believe myths about asylum-seekers receiving extra State benefits or being aggressive? "To me the facts as they are are horrendous enough or striking enough . . . I believe the facts speak for themselves. You do not have to exaggerate."
Farther down the street, Nigeria came up again. Ms Elizabeth Tierny had heard of the strife between Christians and Muslims in northern parts of the country, where Muslim or Sharia law has been introduced.
Ms Ní Chonaill explained that Nigeria has a population of about 120 million. "If you're from a Christian tribe and they want to bring in Sharia law, of course you wouldn't want to stay there. But why not go to a different part of Nigeria? Why come to Ireland?"