Noel Grealish defends comments about African migrants’ remittances

Noel Grealish, the Galway West TD who became embroiled in controversy after he claimed at a public meeting that the type of people to be accommodated at a proposed direct provision centre in Oughterard would be "economic migrants from Africa" whom he described as "spongers" has defended later figures he provided in the Dáil.

Speaking in the Dáil last November, the Independent TD said €3.54 billion had been sent from Ireland to Nigeria over an eight-year period.

"I quoted World Bank figures and World Bank figures are constantly being quoted by government [in] statements regarding financial transactions around the world and them figures are still up on the World Bank," he told RTÉ Radio 1 on Sunday. He looks set to hold his seat.

“If they were wrong why hasn’t the World Bank taken them down . . . There might be discrepancy in the figures. The World Bank haven’t sent me any clarification on that yet, I’ve sought that from the World Bank and as of yet I haven’t received anything . . . If the figures are that far out then why haven’t the World Bank taken them down?”

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Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said remittances from Ireland to Nigeria came in at about €17 million a year, according to the Central Statistics Office, and had at the time accused Mr Grealish of racism.