Sinn Féin statement on comments of Fine Gael Mayor of Limerick… November 11, 2009
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Irish Politics.trackback
Just been sent this… most interesting… I’ve been told by various people that FG seems to be losing the head a bit as the poll numbers stay solid. One would certainly hope for better than this.
Kenny must clarify fascist comments of Fine Gael Mayor of Limerick –
Ferris
Sinn Féin Workers’ Rights Spokesperson Martin Ferris TD has called on
the Enda Kenny to clarify the comments made by the Fine Gael Mayor of
Limerick Kevin Kiely in which he called for the deportation of European
Nationals who have been unemployed for a period of three months.
Speaking this evening Deputy Ferris said:
“The comments from the Mayor of Limerick are in line with the disgusting
policies of the fascist British Nationalist Party.
“Fine Gael Leader Enda Kenny must clarify his party’s position on this
matter. Is the Limerick Mayor on a solo run or is this the old
tradition of Blue Shirt fascism raring its ugly head once again in Fine
Gael?
“If Enda Kenny does not agree with the comments of Councillor Kiely then
he needs to state this publicly and distance himself from this type of
bigotry.” ENDS
Here’s the news report from TodayFM.
Limerick Mayor wants foreign nationals who are out of work to be deported The Mayor of Limerick has provoked outrage by calling for unemployed EU nationals in Ireland to be deported. Councillor Kevin Kiely says anyone living here who ‘can’t afford to pay for themselves’ should be sent home after three months. He’s denying accusations that his comments amount to racism – but they have sparked calls for his resignation with local Labour MEP Alan Kelly slamming them as ‘outrageous’. Mayor Kiely is insistent that the country cannot afford welfare payments that are far in excess of what the minority of people involved would recieve in their home counties.
Well this stinks. The mayoralty will only amplify it of course, but Kiely isn’t the first Limerick FG councillor to make these noises – Jim Long said something similar back in January, was retained on the FG ticket (even though he only joined the party in 2006) and was (shamefully) re-elected in June. Enda would want to show a bit of that Seanad-abolishing leadership he mentioned.
Indeed. Can a man who is tough, but fair, step up?
And perhaps some reaction from Leo Varadkar and Alan Shatter, both descended from immigrants? though, come to think of it, Leo has ‘previous’ in this regard.
Also, i like the idea, in Ferris’s statement of fascism ‘raring’ its head – rearing a head thats raring to go, i guess…
Good point, but come to think of it, everyone in FG – which likes to see itself as the most pro-EU party – should be pointing out the nonsense of ‘deporting’ EU citizens.
Yep, that thought struck me too. It’s so rubbish.
Varadkar probably wrote his speach.
I’ve seen him in action in the Dublin West election in 2007. One of his main demands in response to the crisis in Primary school’s places in the area was for children with baptismal certs to be given priority, a massively divisive idea in an area with a high number of migrant famillies.
That man is dangerous in a way Michael McDowell never was. At least Mike was marooned in a doomed party. I can see why he frightes the life out of our more timid trade union leaders who don’t fancy facing him across a negotiations table at partnership talks.
Nonsense from Martin, whom I have always respected. Crap about Fascists and “the Fash” are best left to teenage activists and not senior politicians. Martin lost a good chance to act like a politician but chose to play to the gallery.
You know, when I first read it, Martin’s statement bugged me a bit too. The BNP reference is a bit odd, and the Blueshirt jibe is cheap, but sure in the end isn’t he right? And I’ve never respected him. Funny old world.
Yep, it’s over the top and yet… I think you’re right. There’s a need to smack down stupidity. There really is.
I agree in principle with the thrust of Martin Ferris’s statement. To be honest though, it would have been much better to highlight the inconsistency of Fine Gael playing the ‘we’re the best Europeans’ card, while a member wants to deport Europeans. Name-calling like ‘fascists’ and ‘BNP’ etc, is just yellowpack politics as far as I’m concerned…. there’s plenty who like to throw the fascist label onto Martin’s party, so he should know better…
He (Kiely) also wants the unemployed of Limerick to be made sweep its streets – an opinion roundly endorsed by George Hook on his radio this evening. Is it not worth noting that 2 of the 3 national evening news radio hosts (Hook and Matt Cooper) are openly well to the right of any mainstream political party? And we’re supposed to accept them as impartial interviewers? Methinks they could both do with a little of the Pat Kenny/Frontline treatment.
It’s populist stuff, isn’t it? Doesn’t require much thought, doesn’t bother to wonder how that would work in practice or how it might impact with subcontracted road sweepers cleaners…
I agree, if the councils have to start sending back their sub-contracted road sweepers, it will add a heavy burden on to taxpayers, through excess wages and so forth.
And just imagine if London Mayor Boris Johnson & Co followed Mayor Kiely’s lead and starting shipping back here all the Irish who fit Fine Gael’s financial fatwa.
FG used to aligned to the Popular party in Spain in the Euro parliament and about 6 or 7 years ago there was an outbreak of anti-arab racism against Moroccan farm labourers,street fights,curfews(good old fashioned intolerance)in a town in Andalusia(?).Anyway,the Mayor of this town who was PP refused to consider building council housing for these immigrants who lived in huts(still do?) because they would end up staying there.Would this put Kiely to the right of the PP?
There’s no big deal about being “Europeans”,what matters is the kind of Europe you want.
I seem to remember el cerdo Rajoy complaining about non-nationals getting unemployment benefits – which are contributory in Spain – before the last election, as well as saying that immigrants should adapt to the Spanish way of life without specifying what that actually was (going to the bullfight? reading your newspaper in the bar? choosing between Real and Barca?).
This is the third Fine Gael councilor in the Limerick area to toe this line. You can add Liam Galvin to this Kiely and Jim Long.
http://short.ie/blue1 (2nd para)
Fair play to Martin Ferris- I would not have thought he would have come out so hardline. There was much hand wringing and gentle admonishments at Jim Long in May/June which left Enda Kenny off the hook. This puts it up to him.
Alan Kelly has called for Kiely to resign.
I wouldn’t have a lot ot time for Martin but I think fair play. I heard he also played a part in having some fash event booked in a Kerry hotel cancelled.
“Some Fash event”, this is the kind of rubbish I am on about. Why is Martin pondering to this garbage. Is it any wonder that the Party is losing so many members and is floundering in the polls.
Right substance, wrong style from Mr Ferris. Referring to the “blueshirts” is unlikely to win over many in FG, and talk of fascism is a little bit (only a little bit) extreme.
I must admit I generally switch off when people use the F word – its been so overused.
“only a little bit”. The use of Buzz words by people on the left, such as “Fascist”, “Racist” have become so overused and abused, as to have lost all meaning. It is incredibly off putting to people who are sympathetic but who have never had a row over interpretations. There is no doubt that this won’t help Martin get FG transfers, but there is no doubt that it will cost him votes from previous voters of his. The left badly needs to listen to people, talk with them, and most importantly reflect their views, needs and language.
The same could be said of the Church in dealing with laspsed catholics, leave the Dogma at the door and re-connect.
I do not have faith in the Church or the Left to do either. The idealogues are in charge, the strict analysis has to be followed and no deviation will be tolerated.
I am being a bit cheeky with the church ref. but my point will be proven, some posters will now loose the plot about the Church.
I meant to say “interpretations of the dialectic by Lenin”
The Blueshirt jibe is pretty pointless: I’m sure Martin wouldn’t accept the relevance of some rather dubious associations his own party had with certain less than democratic forces, during and after the Blueshirt era.
’some Fash event’. Sorry desperate Dan, but there was a hotel booked in Tralee for a Blood and Honour concert with over 100 expected; I am happy our TD helped get this cancelled. There would have been trouble and perhaps people attacked. I ma glad we did not have racial violence on the streets of our town. Maybe Dan might have thought that opposition too lefty for him?
It didn’t take long for someone to prove my point. Talk about “fash” is for “activists” who live in a bubble. Talk about a bunch of assholes going and playing at a concert is a different and more real world approach.
Above Kerins-o’Rahilly says that I might have “have thought that opposition too lefty for him?”. That put me in my place, it seems that I am peed off about this concert being cancelled, even though I never knew it was on. I must be a “fash” then lol.
There are many on this site that would consider Martin and the Republican movement Fascist (I do not). Would you consider that opposition too lefty for you or are they that even lower than a fascist lifeform – Trots.
Honest to God how does the left genuinely beleive that it will ever be a real force, when it fights so much amongst itself, and then has to shite on about Fascists everywhere else. Stop the foolish labels and insinuations and start connecting with people for a change.
Inda says he ‘doesn’t agree’ with the comments and will be in Limerick on Monday and will talk with the mayor then.
Ironically it seems that the “Blood and Honour” concert was organised by Far right East Europeans in Tralee. and most of the people attending were Czech.
Never said you were ‘fash’ Dan, just a tool- trying to justify your hostility to immigrants by concern for the ‘workers.’ Let’s send all the Irish from Britain, the US, Australia back if they are out of work shall we? Afterall they are only taking native’s jobs and lowering wages, like I did when I worked in London in the 80s. Oh but I was a member of union as are many of my Polish colleagues today and we didn’t accept low wages or under-cutting. I am not and I repeat NOT, saying people who are concerned about immigration are racist, but I am saying as a Kerry republican, who spent many years out of Ireland that it sickens my shit to listen to Dan and his cohorts. Fairl play to Martin Ferris.
Where did I say that I was hostile to Immigrants. I am hostile to political pontification and righteous anger (see your post above) which has led to that ££££ wit griffin getting elected. The politics of Smug hasn’t worked before.
“Dan and his Cohorts” christ I haven’t even mentioned Immigrants and here you are on about my Cohorts, just imagine how worked up you would if I had.
As I said overall I admire Martin and what he has done for Ireland, but my problem is that this childish rubbish he came out with reflects the major problem that the left has. It brings so much idealogical baggage to every arguement that it undermines itself. For example you rant on about my concerns for the workers as a disguised racism. Where have I mentioned workers. You go on about your Union membership.( Great man – buy yourself a pint). I am also a member of a Union. It was just you losing the run of yourself and pigeon holing people, that do not agree with you. Calm down, do not make stuff up and try to have a rational debate. That is what Ferris and everyone on the left should do instead of always getting so worked up and making eejits of themselves. It is easy to stay as a minority grouping and just talk the talk that all the members want to hear at a cumann meeting. I was in the party for two years btw.
I’d rather you bought me a pint.
l.o.l
OK, the language might be a bit OTT but Ferris is right in highlighting the closet racism from a ‘mainstream’ politician in a party that has a serious chance of being in the next government (with Labour!) spouting this sort of tripe that does feed fascist tendencies like BNP wannabes.
Bit of a climbdown
http://short.ie/blueshi
The problem is now with ‘those individuals’ not other EU Nationals.
well done kiely stickin up for the working class the other people are talking out threw there ass!!! limerick is behind you
Yeah, immigrants like Andy Lee should get out. So should Joe McKenna, the Offaly bastard.
Interesting he didn’t mention non-EU immigrants.
Had to laugh at Ferris calling anyone a fascist.
I’m intrigued. Do you think people can change, politically or personally? And do you think that PSF or PIRA were or are actual fascists?
point taken – sure, people can change. Mandela is known as a man who renounced violence, but was a terrorist who murdered innocent people. Ferris? why would he change? how would we know? He is from a generation who worshipped violence – but sure we all mellow in old(er) age!
The term fascist is, as many have said here, bandied about a little too freely these days to have any real meaning other than as a cheap shot, but a fascist is anyone who believes in the supreme power of the state over the individual and the resulting loss of freedom that entails.
i dont think mandela actually killed anyone. He was jailed for sabotage (specifically damage to property rathern than people). I had a book covering his trial and speeches from the dock. He came over as pretty eloquent.
As for attachments to violence, in my experience very few people completely eschew violence for political purposes. Its just that those particular political purposes differ among different people. IMHO.
he was jailed for sabotage, but admitted his assent to the Church Street bombing in 1983 in his biography. In fact the reason he was in prison for so long was his refusal to renounce violence. He did, however, and has now been honoured by the UN with his own day (july 18th)
Interesting how the critics of Martin’s statement can’t seem to agree on whether he’s used the term “fascist” too broadly or not broadly enough. Personally I’m quite happy with how strongly he’s come out on this – blatant xenophobia these days seems to meet with far too much apologism and ambiguity by the media and by many other political figures. It’s time that someone took a firm stand and called it for what it is.
As for worrying that it might cost him FG transfers … pfffffft.
ahh interesting I did not know that about the church street bombing.
However, given the violence of the south african state (including plenty of international assasinations as well as domestic killings), I would say that he would have been a bit of a dumb ass if he had condemned violence when he was in jail. Whether attacks like the one you mention were the best way of going about fighting apartheid is another matter of course.
It was the largest in SA’s history, I think. The Apartheid state killed some 900 people -according to the TRC – and I’m not sure how many the MK killed, or in violence between the ANC and IFP in the 1990s (tens of thousands at least). It’s a pretty f***ed up place, RN. TIA- this is Africa, as the saying goes. Given that context, Mandela is a true hero.
Indeed. Have you ever been to SA? I strongly suggest a visit to Cape Town and the winelands, probably the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen.
yes, I have just spent two years in Cape. It is one of the most beautiful place on earth, and with a fascinating history
‘My whole life I have been knocking on a door that is locked and barred’. Those were the words of Albert Luthuli, the last head of the ANC before it decided to abandon a non-violent strategy that was worse then useless under the conditions of apartheid.
very true – and Luthuli won a Nobel Peace Prize for his trouble. Interestingly, it was Mandela who broke with his strategy, founding the MK in 1961.
However, their armed struggle was largely ineffective, consisting of bungled attempts at sabotage and murder of civilians. The international pressure and boycotts, combined with the banks pulling the plug in the 80s that brought down the regime.
While the armed struggle as such was a failure the resistence was not. The mass movement that arose form the attempt to mpose Africaans as a language in the schools was not crushed and was a major factor. The rise of independent Trade Unions was also a major factor. A lesson for here would be that the appearance of the masses on the [page of history made the difference. Let us not forget Steve Biko.