Sinn Féin TD for Waterford and spokesperson on Community Development, Conor D. McGuinness, has said that migrant communities must be welcomed and valued for their contribution to Irish society.
He was speaking during a Dáil debate on migration, where he expressed his solidarity with migrant communities, hit out at the growing trend of xenophobia and racist abuse, and called on the Government to invest in community development, integration and youth work.
McGuinness said:
“Migration has become a touchstone issue in Irish public discourse. Too often, it is used as a wedge issue – a tool to divide communities, to stoke fear, to sow hate, and to distract from the Government’s failures.
“In my experience, people who come to Ireland from abroad make an enormous contribution to our society. They work alongside us in hospitals and care homes, in our schools, in construction, technology and hospitality. They are neighbours, friends, team mates, fellow parishioners, partners, colleagues and carers.
“All of us, if we think for a moment, can name people from other countries who have given outstanding service to our families, our communities and Ireland as a whole. We are a nation of welcomes. We value those who have come to live among us and contribute to our communities. Is tír na gCéad Míle Fáilte sinne.”
He said that racism and xenophobia must be confronted head-on:
“Sinn Féin is crystal clear that there can be no tolerance of racism or xenophobia. There is no space in our society for violence or hate. We must be able to talk to one another about migration in a way that is honest, respectful and productive.
“That requires investment. We need a properly resourced integration strategy that begins at community level, with support for schools, clubs and youth groups – alongside long-overdue investment in community infrastructure across both rural and urban Ireland.”
Deputy McGuinness said that the Government’s failure has created the conditions for division:
“Decades of underinvestment in housing, health and education have left our public services under severe pressure. Communities that already struggle for GPs, school places and affordable rents are asked to carry the can for the lack of planning at national level. That is unfair to those communities and unfair to people who are seeking a new home here. Government has failed and is continuing to fail and our communities are the ones paying the price.”
He concluded:
“Above all, we need political leadership – leadership that is fair, transparent and rooted in the best of our values. That means standing up to racism, resourcing integration and youth work, and managing migration in a way that works for all our people regardless of their background.
“That is Sinn Féin’s vision and mine: a fair, managed and humane migration system, one that strengthens communities rather than dividing them.”
Conor D. McGuinness TD 