Madam, – Am I the only person embarrassed at the Government’s proposals for a “certificate of Irishness” that descendants of Irish emigrants can hang on their walls, (Front page, June 21st)?
The assertion from the Government appears to be that the US can give us millions of dollars in funds, high technology industry, easy visa access, legal status to illegal Irish immigrants and in return we will allow them the privilege of buying a piece of paper that gives them a few euro off a museum ticket. Such a policy betrays the small closed-minded nature of official thinking. Irishness it appears, is a one-way street in the eyes of the Government.
The Global Irish Economic Forum where this idea originated showed that many Irish-Americans are not pleased at the way their Irish ancestry is ignored by the Irish State. We should be focusing on truly appreciating and nurturing this relationship like other states do. The Israeli state offers extensive rights to the Jewish diaspora through the Aliyah, or law of return, to achieve citizenship and has reaped significant social and economic benefits in return.
Given that so many of the Irish diaspora were driven from this country due to poverty, hunger, or fighting for Irish freedom, do we not owe their descendants a “law of return” to their homeland? It is not as if there are no empty houses or space in which to accommodate them. The creation of such a right would lead to a greater strengthening of the Irish identity and Irish-American relations as we would begin to reverse the injustices that caused so many to leave and provide a real and valued gift to Irish-Americans after all they have done for the Irish State. – Yours, etc,