The time has come for our leaders to stop dodging the blame for the country’s woes and start respecting the Irish people’s sovereignty, argues Con Pendred
The message from the Irish people is clear: they feel vulnerable, and are scared for the future, particularly the future of their children. They also feel let down by the reckless Government policy that has given rise to an overwhelming financial crisis in Ireland. And they are looking for someone to blame.
Incidental to the economic downturn, there has been a general criticism about the impact of immigration in this country. That is not a problem; indeed, it is healthy. But racism is not. However, as someone who deals with immigration matters in my daily work, I think the Irish people may be misunderstood when it comes to this issue.
Immigration, the critics argue, poses a perceived threat to the long established eco-system of Irish society, one established over centuries supposedly reflected and safeguarded by the rule of law and the Constitution. Such is the foundation of our political and legal sovereignty.
However, as recent events have shown, there is nothing to safeguard our economic and social sovereignty. It’s no wonder the Irish people are scared. We have signed up to so many treaties in the past 20 years, with no proactive measures to manage the responsibilities that went with the acceptance of those treaties.
Meanwhile, as the financial system goes into tailspin, thousands of Irish people face losing their homes through no fault of their own. And the banks that own their homes are now sustaining the economic crash by refusing to lend money to small businesses, which in turn leads to loss of employment, which in turn leads to defaulting of loans – loans due back to the banks. Banks then take their home. That sounds like daylight robbery to me.
But what can we do to prevent this happening again? Nationalise the banking system? Reform the Department of Finance? Or blame immigration for our woes?
Take the social welfare system, for example, which is under particular strain in this time of recession. It is common to hear those who seek welfare complain about immigrants ‘abusing’ the system, taking payments while not having made any contribution to their social insurance. That is an understandable point raised by those Irish who have been refused welfare, often after months of waiting for their claims to be processed, because they did not qualify according to the rules. It appears to them that there is one rule for Irish people and another for immigrants, who seem to qualify on discretion. But immigrants in this case make an easy scapegoat – the real blame lies with the politicians who’ve created the system.
As the recession goes on, I think more and more Irish people are beginning to realise this. They have worked hard for their country and conceded power on the understanding that it would lead to a better life. But today they are suffering, while they watch the fat cats who brought them to ruin fall back on their comfortable bonuses. It’s not immigrants who are the targets of their wrath, but those bankers, developers and politicians who lied, misrepresented facts and breached the trust of the nation.
We must now concentrate on making things right, for all the people of Ireland. First things first, we must give priority to those citizens who have worked for and contributed to our society. Our leaders must put them first and not shield themselves behind the immigration scapegoat.
At the same time, all levels of society must face the reality that we must live within our means. The Celtic Tiger was more than generous to a wealthy few who must now pay back this generosity and carry their fair share of the burden. The State, too, has a duty to be honest with its citizens in these matters.
When it comes to Europe, we must take a close look at our obligations. And indeed, the Lisbon Treaty is one such agreement we cannot afford. We must say no to the Government and the European Union for trying to force us to change our sovereign mind on this matter. They must understand that democracy only works on the principle of respect for each vote – we cannot be coerced into voting their way just because they feel we owe them something.
And besides, where is Europe’s money now when we need it most? If you leave us to the mercies of the International Monetary Fund, your great European experiment will have evidently failed, and no other nation in Europe will have the confidence to stay the course along with you.
There is a growing discontent among the middle and working classes in Ireland, who are beginning to recognise that they have much in common – that they should be wary not so much of their employers, but of the Government and how it ignores or misreads the sovereignty of the people, and how our leaders are manipulating us into placing blame where it does not belong. There is a real chill in the air, and who knows what will happen unless we change things now for the better.
We are waiting for the coming of a new leadership with wisdom, foresight and courage. We don’t want bluffers, chancers and gougers. We want leaders who will give us respect. n
Con Pedred is a member of the Labour Party an immigration lawyer and founder of AC Pendred & Co Solicitors in Dublin
