The editor of the Wexford People, Mr Ger Walsh, yesterday denied that an editorial he wrote on the influx of Romanian asylum-seekers was racist. He said he was reflecting how people on the ground in Wexford felt. The editorial had said the asylum-seekers were living in upmarket apartments, eating in restaurants, and that young Romanian males were trying to strike up relationships with local girls, aware that a baby would ensure a passport to stay.
On RTE's News At One Mr Walsh said they were talking about a situation where Wexford people had been very welcoming to the Romanians when they arrived about two-and-a-half months ago.
There had been a steady build-up in their number in the Wexford area because they arrived in Rosslare port and the health board had been accommodating them in the Wexford area.
"The people in the town have felt that an unfair burden has been placed on Wexford town because it's so close to Rosslare," he said.
The asylum-seekers were being housed in apartment blocks in Wexford, built "as part of the tax designation scheme, and would be at the top end of the property market, and these have been rented out by the health board and provided for the Romanians". When asked if he was saying that this was too good for them, he replied: "People are saying, and we're reflecting that, that it's not that it's too good for them but it's better than what is available to people in Wexford themselves. Wexford natives would not get that type of accommodation from the health board if they saw themselves in difficulty." Mr Walsh was asked about a line in the editorial concerning fears that some young male asylum-seekers were intent on striking up relationships with impressionable young girls, fully aware that a baby would ensure permanent residence in this State. It was put to him that there was no evidence of that and he was asked if this was just racism.
" No, it's not. Of course there's evidence of it, we wouldn't have it in the editorial if there wasn't evidence of it. During the Leaving Cert the Romanians gathered on a daily basis around a girls' secondary school in the town, chatting with the girls, etc., and I mean, this was causing serious concern for parents.
"The aim here is to paint the situation as it is in Wexford and to provide a wake-up call for the authorities to do something to speed up the process for dealing with these asylum-seekers."
He denied that the editorial was hyping up a problem that did not exist.
"We were hearing (from our readers) in no uncertain terms last week that it was time for some action to alleviate this problem and accommodation would have to be provided outside of Wexford for these asylum-seekers because the indications were at that stage that at least 100 more were to arrive within the next week in Rosslare," he said.
The facts did not stand up the health board's story that there was no extra financial burden. "They are providing finance to house the asylum-seekers. Equally, they are providing finance to provide meals for them in local restaurants, they're providing clothing for them and this finance has to come from some place."
Mr Walsh said that about a dozen asylum-seekers were going along the main street in Wexford last Tuesday, waving social welfare cheques for about £120 to £130.
The editorial made the point that they got social welfare because they could not work.
Mr Walsh said his quibble was with the State, for not changing the system for dealing with asylum-seekers and speeding up the process to see whether they were genuine and allowing them to stay here, and also for not allowing them to work while they await a decision.