Sir, - I would be grateful if I might refer to an editorial note to a letter (24th August) in which you refer to Immigration Control Platform, saying: "The Irish Times abhors the aims and methods of the organisation in question. . ." I am well aware from the editorial position of The Irish Times that it is very much at odds with the aims of our organisation. As a democrat, I accept that completely. I do not, however, understand how the methods of our organisation should offend other democrats.
We take part in the public discourse on this issue as far as is possible given the bias and censorship of most of the media. We lobby the Government; we occasionally engage in absolutely peaceful pickets; we attend conferences; we submit suggested amendments to legislation (Immigration Bill 1999, Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill 1999); we have made an oral presentation to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Women's Rights on the first of those two Bills. We alone have alerted the public to the opt-out clause in the Geneva Convention; we alone have given the full facts to the public on the Fajujonu judgement (Irish News of the World, July 9th) when ill-informed media comment had led to the idea that it actually said something other than it says.
All of this has taken study, time and effort and, unlike our opponents on this issue, taxpayers' money is not available for our work through NCDE, NCCRI and the alphabet soup that funds the vocal minority. We have no reason to be other than proud of our methods to educate the public and represent the views of the silent majority on this issue. - Yours, etc.,
Aine Ni Chonaill, PRO, Immigration Control Platform, PO Box 6469, Dublin 2.