A chara, - All who played their part in bringing about the peaceful end of the hunger strike in St Patrick's Cathedral deserve our thanks.
It is to be hoped that our asylum system will respond appropriately to the individual situations of those who have sought asylum here. On the basis that "justice delayed is justice denied", let us ensure that nobody who qualifies for "leave to remain" has the seven-year wait that one (non-Afghan) man to whom I spoke last week endured before his limbo recently came to a happy end. - Is mise,
PETER O'MAHONY, CEO, Irish Refugee Council, Capel Street, Dublin 1.
Madam, - It is not surprising that the Afghan asylum seekers in St Patrick's Cathedral should use aggressive tactics in their demands for instant refugee status as similar tactics were successful in Belgium recently. The hunger strikers were portrayed by sections of the media, humanitarian groups and the far left as victims of an inhumane asylum system. This was not because they were right but because they were vulnerable. Therefore critical questioning of their tactics is viewed as attacking them and those who do so are vilified as oppressors. This is now standard practice in all matters relating to immigration and is the result of the institutionalisation of political correctness in all spheres of society.
Political correctness has established itself as a national ideology which sets the ground rules for debate on all issues. In Ireland it is used by big business, its lobby in the media and the Dáil as a weapon to stifle and corrupt open debate as to what kind of society we choose to live in. In particular it is used to promote a completely free labour market by allowing an open-borders policy on immigration. Although this is designed to create a low-wage, open-market economy on US lines it is lauded by the politically correct on the right and the far left as an exciting adventure into a new intercultural society. Ireland is considered to be just a place, where anyone who wants to should be free to come and live, regardless of the fact that our economy is about the size of that of Greater Manchester.
The political class in the Dáil have been able to impose unregulated immigration on its electorate by using political correctness to inhibit discussion and create an intolerance of dissent. This has led to a rigid self-righteousness which curbs freedom of speech and instills a self imposed censorship by attaching a sense of moral superiority to itself, and a sense of shame to opposing beliefs.
Perhaps the hunger strike in St Patrick's Cathedral will lead to a more democratic debate on all aspects of immigration. - Yours, etc,
SIMON O'DONNELL, Church Place, Rathmines, Dublin 6.
Madam, - I wonder what the reaction of the Irish Government if there were a group of Irish illegal immigrants on hunger strike in St Patrick's Cathedral in New York. Would it be pleading with the US government to treat them kindly? Would it be making the case for more visas for Irish emigrants? Would they be sending an emergency medical team to see to their health needs?
Many lawyers have been quite critical of the Irish asylum process which is far from transparent. Also, some appeal judges grant hardly any appeals, while others grant most that come before them. Surely we, the ordinary citizens, have the right to know what goes on behind the closed doors of Fortress Europe.- Yours, etc,
KATHLEEN FORDE, Iveragh Road, Gaeltacht Park, Dublin 9.