Independent candidate Niall Boylan, who is polling strongly for a seat in the EU Parliament for Dublin, has slammed RTÉ for excluding immigration-critical candidates from last night’s Prime Time debate.
“A short debate on the single biggest issue of immigration with all candidates RTE carefully chose who agree immigration is not an issue and the word deportation was avoided at all cost,” Boylan said last night.
“Shocking to listen to them say no restrictions on numbers and they don’t care what you think because there’s nobody on the debate to disagree with them,” he posted on X. “None of these candidates care about your concerns around migration,” he added.
Last night’s debate featured eight candidates: Barry Andrews MEP of Fianna Fáil; Senator Regina Doherty of Fine Gael; Aodhán Ó Riordáin TD of Labour, Clare Daly MEP of Independents for Change; Bríd Smith TD of Solidarity/PBP; Ciarán Cuffe MEP of the Greens; Senator Lynn Boylan of Sinn Féin and Sinéad Gibney of the Social Democrats.
While there was disagreement in regard to the EU Migration Pact, none of the candidates took a tough stance on immigration, despite polls repeatedly showing that the issue is a priority for voters, and that a significant majority of people believe Ireland has taken in too many refugees.
Boylan had posted earlier that “tonight’s Prime Time EU debate promises to showcase a lineup of establishment candidates, all cut from the same leftist cloth, who brand anyone questioning uncontrolled immigration as a right-wing extremist. These eight individuals dismiss our concerns, labeling us as delusional for recognising the genuine issues posed by uncontrolled immigration, while they insist it’s “not a problem” and we the people are the problem.”
“RTE had the chance to demonstrate impartiality in this crucial debate by including independents and opposition voices, yet they chose not to. It’s glaringly obvious that RTE is pushing a left-wing agenda, sidelining anyone who dares to challenge the establishment. This manipulation is meant to keep successful outsiders hidden from undecided voters, lest someone like me might actually get elected on Friday,” he wrote.
“Despite polling higher than most of the eight debaters and candidates, I’m excluded because I’m not a career politician and won’t refrain from using terms like , deportation, illegal immigration or protect our borders. I would also give them home truths about failing on housing, climate alarmism and the cost of living. How can new voices ever emerge when national debates, or in this case, Dublin debates are monopolised by the very parties wreaking havoc on our country?”
Tonight's Prime Time EU debate promises to showcase a lineup of establishment candidates, all cut from the same leftist cloth, who brand anyone questioning uncontrolled immigration as a right-wing extremist. These eight individuals dismiss our concerns, labeling us as delusional… pic.twitter.com/VVWitGl0cR
— Niall Boylan (@Niall_Boylan) June 4, 2024
Writing in the Irish Times this morning, Political Correspondent Harry McGee acknowledged that “there were no candidates among the eight who were taking a tough stance against migration, perhaps the biggest single issue in this election cycle.
So, in a sense, we got to hear only the spectrum of opinion on one side of the argument, albeit the more humane side, he wrote.
Two of the candidates, Sinéad Gibney and Bríd Smith argued against any restrictions at all on migrants entering the country. Gibney said that the expected numbers of 30,000 asylum seekers entering the country in 2o24 was a small number in context of a population of over five million in Ireland. “We do not have a problem with numbers,” she said, also arguing that the government parties were guilty of ‘performative cruelty’ by talking tough on immigration.
Bríd Smith TD said that there was “scaremongering” around the issue, and that people were fleeing to the first world because of being persecuted including being ‘chronically unemployed’ or suffering the effects of climate change. Europe and Ireland had an ageing population and should encourage migration from the developing world, she said, arguing against any restrictions on the number of migrants coming to the country.
Ciarán Cuffe MEP also said on the programme that there would be an increase in the numbers of migrants arriving in Europe because of climate change, and that we needed a fair system.
On Twitter, many agreed with Boylan that the debate had excluded alternative voices and views.
Immigration levels being too high no. 1 issue in Ireland#rtept all govt and (fake) opposition parties debating each other on who's the most pro-mass migration.
— Tadhg Pidgeon (@TadhgPidgeon) June 4, 2024
meanwhile most popular border control candidate @Niall_Boylan excluded from debate.
Surreal.#voteniallboylanNo1 pic.twitter.com/pUNXzmGwOf
Overall verdict on #rtept Dublin debate; the clownshow have worked out that they're a long way off what people are thinking. Their consensus is that they should "bring people with them", but their problem is that it's not anywhere anyone wants to go.
— Jonathan Mills (@Muinchille) June 4, 2024
I’m a voter in Dublin Central and honestly don’t know who to vote for. I’d love to see and hear from ALL candidates. #rtept
— Eimear McCormack (@EimearMcCormack) June 4, 2024
Others, however, cheered their preferred candidates after the Prime Time debate.
Barry Andrews clearly demonstrating on #rtept tonight why we need him re-elected as an experienced, passionate and positive voice for Dublin in the European Parliament - well done Barry 👏🏻👏🏻
— Cormac Devlin TD (@CormacDevlin) June 4, 2024
Vote #1 ANDREWS 🇮🇪 🇪🇺 #EuropeMatters pic.twitter.com/Yg91ONe742
Yesterday, Peadar Tóibín of Aontú said that the party “solidly opposed” the EU Migration Pact, saying that the government had failed to explain how much the agreement would cost Ireland, and that the state was therefore signing a blank check on the cost of the potential undertaking.
He also argued for a 12 week limit regarding asylum processing and argued for an Irish sea border which he said was supported by a majority in a recent poll by the Belfast Telegraph.
Today we launched our manifesto where we set out how we will address issues affecting people up and down this country. Here’s our priorities on immigration. #aontúmanifesto24 pic.twitter.com/sx64PAUisb
— Aontú (@AontuIE) June 4, 2024