Despite the divisive referendum, multiculturalism has arrived and found a democratic voice, writes Carl O'Brien, Social Affairs Correspondent.
He was a long way from his birthplace, but Dr Taiwoo Matthew looked right at home as he spoke to the crowd before him. "You have written the name of Ennis in gold in the book of history," the former Nigerian asylum-seeker said proudly to the supporters who helped elect him to Ennis Town Council. "By electing me, the Ennis people have looked beyond the colour of my skin and accepted me on my individual merits."
The scene was repeated in other crowded count centres across the country during last June's local elections, as non-nationals, former asylum-seekers and newly resident foreigners sought election.
Many of the candidates attracted healthy numbers of first-preference votes. Just two were eventually elected. But it was the first sign that the State's increasingly multi-cultural population was beginning to express its democratic voice.
It was apt that it should happen on the same day voters also had their first real opportunity to decide how immigration and citizenship should be regulated. The citizenship referendum was the culmination of a hastily organised campaign by the Government which, at least for a time, threatened to become bitterly divisive over claims about the scale of "citizenship tourism" and politicians using the race card to win votes.
The Government said it was putting the issue to the people to close off a loophole which was being abused by large numbers of non-nationals.
Fine Gael felt uncomfortable about being largely on side with the Government and stayed silent when it could. The other Opposition parties worked themselves into a lather of anger and indignation as they insisted the Government was inflating the problem out of all proportion and stirring up anti-immigrant sentiment for political gain.
THE DEBATE HISSED and fizzled for several weeks. It sparked to life most memorably during verbal jousts between the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, and Labour's Michael D. Higgins.
Opinion polls suggested it could be a tight vote. At one stage, some even suggested it was too close to call. Yet the final lopsided result - almost 80 per cent voted to change the citizenship laws - surprised even the hardiest optimists in the Yes campaign.
Were the opinion polls wrong? Did something change in the final days of the campaign? In truth, voters' tendencies to present publicly their nobler selves on questions which involve a hint of political correctness may have had more to do with the distorted opinion poll findings.
Now that the dust has settled, a calmer debate on asylum, immigration and citizenship is beginning to unfold. The numbers of asylum-seekers coming to Ireland has dropped by more than one-third compared to last year, and better-resourced State agencies are finally beginning to process applications more efficiently.
Nigeria and Romania continue to account for the majority of applications, of which the majority are ultimately rejected.
The Government is also taking steps to regularise the positions of thousands of parents who were waiting in limbo to know whether they would secure residency on the basis of having an Irish-born child.
Tens of thousands of visas or permits were issued this year, although the numbers are falling sharply given that workers from accession states no longer need permits.
Figures suggest that around 50,000 immigrants will have arrived by the end of this year. Labour force projections compiled by the Central Statistics Office suggest we will need to keep this level of immigration over the next decade or so if economic growth is to continue. All signs are that, far from being an aberrant feature of our sudden economic growth, multiculturalism is here to stay.
Dr Taiwoo Matthew, who has spent the last six months getting used to life as an elected official, is hopeful that Irish people will continue to grow more comfortable with living in an increasingly multicultural society.
"It was a privilege to get elected, and it's been a learning experience. My colleagues have been quite supportive. Ennis is a special place, quite different from anywhere else," says the 43-year-old father of three.
"We are making progress. It's slow sometimes. But people are here to contribute to the community and the country. The immigrant community has already made a large contribution culturally and economically. There is no country in the world that has ever achieved greatness without diversity. The strength of our future lies in the diversity of our people, I'm convinced of that."