Madam, - Brendan Butler (January 24th) raises the interesting question of how well migrants may be treated once the present boom levels off. As a returned migrant I am appalled by the prevalent "them and us" attitude. Words such as partnership and equality seldom enter the debate.
I also feel that, in the wake of the Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll and the political pronouncements about permit restrictions on foreign nationals, a number of practical considerations have been overlooked.
While people acknowledge that migrants undertake work on pay and conditions that Irish people would not tolerate, there is scant recognition that such jobs could not be exported (e.g. local healthcare, hospitality and construction). Our present economic growth rates depend on migrants to a greater extent than we care to admit. Additionally, there has been little effort to examine how migrants actually find work here, how they can redress wrongs during any employment and how long they intend to remain in Ireland. As has often been reported, access to redress via State institutions such as the Rights Commissioners and Labour Court is cumbersome, timely and costly. These are avenues closed to all but the lucky few supported by either a trade union or perhaps local non-government organisations.
The under-payment or non-payment of wages translates as direct hardship to dependent families in migrants' countries of origin - damaging the image of the Irish as an honest people and of Ireland as a reputable place of employment. We should question ourselves on our achievements and ask if we are proud to be known as Europe's sweatshop.
Exploitation and displacement will not be adequately addressed by either work permits or a minor increase in the numbers of work inspectors. However a few simple practical steps could be more effective. If wages could be paid only into a bank account (rather than by cash) and if the non-payment of the minimum wage was deemed a criminal offence, few employers would gamble with exploitation. Such simple steps could be underpinned by obligatory reporting by financial institutions. This would diminish the grey economy and associated sharp practice overnight. - Yours, etc,
CIARAN WALSH, Kincora Drive, Dublin 3.
Madam, - Peter Buchanan (January 24th) poses a question: "What outrage we would have felt had such a poll result [ 78 per cent of Irish want work restriction for new EU migrants] appeared in a German, French or Dutch newspaper 25 years ago?"
With all due respect, there is a great difference: 25 years ago the population of this State was merely 3 million, while France had a population of over 52 million, West Germany had 62 million and the Netherlands about 13.5 million.
Today the population of Poland is 10 times as great as Ireland's; Bulgaria and Romania (with a population of some 31 million) hope soon to be EU members, and Ukraine, with a population close to 50 million, is knocking on EU doors. - Yours, etc,
HANNA DOWLING, Woodley Park, Dundrum, Dublin 14.