Madam, - It is convenient for the Government that the recent census of population did not reveal the true level of immigration. Ruadhán Mac Cormaic, in his "Changing Places" series of articles for The Irish Times, suggests that the recorded number of immigrants vastly underrepresents their actual presence.
For example, quoting immigrant community sources, he estimates that the recorded number of Brazilians, at 4,720, is only a quarter of the real figure, while the number of Poles, at 63,000, represents probably only a third of their numbers.
This under-recording of the immigrant presence recently allowed the Taoiseach to talk comfortably of the 10 per cent of the population which the census showed are now foreign born, while expressing an opinion that that number should not be greatly exceeded in the coming decade, (The Irish Times, April 24th), and certainly not reach 20 per cent of the population.
However, if we take the view of the foreign communities themselves, the number of foreign nationals is already approaching 20 per cent. Presumably, this includes the large number of failed asylum seekers whom the Government has been unable to remove.
Given the British experience, and contrary to Mr Ahern's view, it is likely that a significant percentage of immigrants will remain despite any setback to the economy, bearing in mind the level of social welfare and other supports in Ireland, compared to their home countries.
Consequently, when the need for them as cheap labour has vanished, many immigrants and their dependants will become a burden on Irish public services and local authorities in respect of health care, education and accommodation.
Meanwhile, their Irish and multinational employers will have banked their profits and moved to their islands in the sun, leaving the immigrant ghettos and security problems to the Irish taxpayers. What a legacy from an incompetent Government! - Yours, etc,
LIAM Ó GÉIBHHEANNAIGH, Áth an Ghainimh, Co Átha Cliath.