Madam, - How utterly hypocritical of the Taoiseach to beg the US government to turn a blind eye to illegal Irish immigrants in America, given the frequency with which his own administration deports illegal immigrants from this country (Opinion, March 16th).
And how utterly embarrassing to have our Taoiseach going cap in hand to a foreign government in such a manner. Has he no pride? - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL DOLAN, Rosemount Park, Rosegreen, Co Tipperary.
Madam, - The Taoiseach's passionate advocacy of the illegal Irish in the US would carry more weight if he had ever directed such concern and compassion towards those in similar circumstances in this country. Like Justin Sadleir (March 15th) I am dismayed at the contrast between the situation of the "undocumented" Irish in the US and our treatment of asylum-seekers in Ireland.
One particular group of asylum-seekers here is deserving of more humanitarian support. They are "aged-out minors" - that is, they arrived in this country as separated children, and have now turned 18. For years they have lived here without any family support, and are bewildered by the complex legal processes to which they are subjected.
Most have no contact whatever with their families; they could teach the illegal Irish a lot about "the pain of separation," referred to by Bertie Ahern.
As children, they have been allowed to attend school, but as soon as they reach 18, they lose the right to education. They live in hostels, are unable to seek work and, when they leave school, they lose the support network provided by the school community. Many experience depression and despair.
They too "long to come out of the shadows of fear and uncertainty and to have their lives recognised and accepted", as Bertie Ahern eloquently expresses it; they too are "true heroes" and their stories are deeply moving.
There are no more than 200 aged-out minors in the country, and very few now arrive here as separated children.
It would be a magnanimous decision simply to end deportations of this group and grant all of them humanitarian leave to remain.
Dun Laoghaire Refugee Project is a voluntary support group which has begun a campaign called PLUS ( Please Let Us Stay) to secure leave to remain for these young people. Archbishop Martin and Archbishop Neill have expressed their solidarity with this campaign. Is there anyone in our mean-spirited Government to take up this cause? - Yours, etc,
BRYAN MAC MAHON, Stillorgan Wood, Co Dublin.