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No matter what your perspective is on the Russia-Ukraine invasion politically, one thing is inarguable: the human cost of this conflict is enormous.
This is clearly one of the most cut and dry cases of a refugee crisis we have seen in Europe in years.
While the legitimacy of many alleged asylum claims to Europe have been questionable in the past decade, the crisis these people are fleeing from is obvious and seen by everyone. Millions of women and children are set to flee the country while the men stay and fight. And so it’s totally understandable, from an honest compassionate perspective, why many well-meaning people would want to accept some refugees from such a conflict.
However, as outlined in a previous Gript article, the government is expecting over 100,000 refugees to arrive on our shores – a number which, at least at first glance, seems absurd and untenable, even as the government gears up to receive them.
"The unavoidable truth is that we can’t possibly house 100,000 refugees in Ireland. At this point we can’t even house our own people. It's wrong to offer false hope to desperate people."#gripthttps://t.co/s7utIMyapm
— gript (@griptmedia) March 7, 2022
Perhaps realising that they’ve bitten off far more than they can chew here, the government is now begging ordinary families to take refugees into their homes as they scramble to accommodate the incoming surge of new arrivals.
In particular, Fianna Fáil Senator Timmy Dooley said that Irish families “will have to open their homes to Ukrainian refugees.”
Irish families ‘will have to open their homes to Ukrainian refugees’ https://t.co/ZjFpGIN6OA
— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) March 7, 2022
However, interestingly, not one journalist thought to ask the Senator one obvious and simple question: “Mr. Dooley – how many refugees will you and your government colleagues be accepting into your homes?”
While we don’t know the answer to that question, it’s certainly worth wondering about.
After all, Ireland is just coming out of a totally separate crisis – Covid-19 and the government lockdown that came with it. Not too long ago, hundreds of thousands of ordinary people were forced out of work for months and had their businesses absolutely hammered by government policy.
If you cast your mind back, you will remember the slogan that encapsulated this time period: “We’re all in this together.”
And yet, during that time, when so many people were experiencing great financial suffering, not one of the politicians responsible for lockdown experienced so much as a dent in their earnings. In fact, they gave themselves pay rises.
With the exception of Independent TD Verona Murphy, who commendably cut her salary to PUP levels during lockdown, most politicians coasted through the pandemic, happy out, as the gravy kept flowing.
The Wexford TD Verona Murphy has said she is reducing her Dáil salary to the level of the PUP for the duration of lockdown. @TheHardShoulder https://t.co/fmvTL6YPCd
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) October 27, 2020
For all the talk of “We’re all in this together,” there was virtually zero effort made to show solidarity with the people.
To paraphrase Lord Farquad in Shrek: “Some of you may go broke, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.”
Now, as the government throws open the doors of our country to over 100,000 refugees, and begs and insists that the public should invite them to stay in guest rooms and sofa beds around the country, the question must be asked: what will the politicians be doing while this is happening?
One of the most classic signs of failed leadership is asking others to do something that you would be unwilling to do yourself. Nobody respects the military commander who orders his troops into battle on a difficult mission, but cowers at the sign of challenge himself.
Most TDs are on almost €100,000 a year, and significantly more in the case of ministers. There’s no question that they can afford to take a few lodgers. And if they’re asking everyone else to, the very least they can do is put their money where their mouths are.
Make no mistake about it: any politician who asks this of the public, but refuses to agree to it themselves, has proven themselves to be a virtue-signalling fake. If they refuse, despite whatever excuses they make, that proves they care about the plight of vulnerable people and want to help – as long as it’s in your house, or at accommodation paid for with your tax money. They want all the credit for helping these poor people in need, and none of the personal sacrifice.
It would be the NIMBY mindset, but on steroids. And it’s imperative that constituents call it out if it rears its head.
We’ll have to wait and see how many of our leaders actually put their money where their mouths are when the chips are down. Maybe they’ll impress us and step up to the plate. But until then, I’ll certainly be holding my local representatives accountable on this, and watching patiently for them to back up their tweets with action.
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