Independent Senator Sharon Keogan has told the Seanad that the national broadcaster RTÉ focused on Saturday’s immigration counter-protest – despite the protest itself attracting tens of thousands of people. The Senator, speaking on Tuesday, said that it would be “simply delusional” to try and separate the immigration crisis from the housing crisis, in reference to signs held by counter protestors.
RTÉ reported that “more than 5,000 people gathered at the Garden of Remembrance to take part in an anti-immigration protest,” however Sharon Keogan said that the number was more likely four times that, at 20,000.
The national broadcaster also reported that “around 1,000 people joined the United Against Racism counter-demonstration on O’Connell Street,” as it ran the headline: “Thousands take part in demonstrations in Dublin city.”
However, in a separate report, RTÉ claimed that “at least 2,000 supporters of the United Against Racism group” remained gathered outside the GPO at O’Connell Street.
It said that while it estimated 5,000 had attended the protest over the Government’s immigration and housing policies, “given the large volume of people in Dublin city centre this afternoon, it is hard to put an exact number on the size of each group.”
Organisers of the counter-protest said that the United Against Racism group has secured the backing of a number of organisations, as well as political parties Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, and the Socialist Party.
Senator Keogan said she believed that the swelling of public concern on the issue of immigration policy has been largely ignored in the Seanad and in the Dáil.
“Outside of this chamber, there’s a rising issue that is dominating Irish society. Inside this chamber, we hear nothing about it. Out there in the bars, in the taxis and on the streets, it’s all people are talking about, yet in here, on the benches of the Seanad or the Dáil, we hear absolutely nothing. The issue is, of course, immigration. I speak of the gigantic national protest that took place last Saturday, where up to 20,0000 people marched through Dublin to oppose the Government’s suicidal open border policy,” she said.
‘INTENT ON IGNORING IT’
“Despite the numbers, we have still heard nothing about it. I’ve warned previously that if we in these houses do not address immigration, others will. However, our ruling parties still seem intent on ignoring it, hoping it goes away. RTÉ have followed this approach – it’s the only area where they seem to have a good relationship with their Government founders at the moment,” she added during her remarks.
“When RTÉ did pay attention, they focused on the counter-protest which was organised by the taxpayer-funded NGOs, who tell Irish taxpayers that any problems they may have with mass, uncontrolled immigration are only imagined. The opposition have not proved much better. In fact, many of them threw their lot in with the vastly outnumbered counterprotestors. They waved banners saying we are having a housing crisis – not an immigration crisis. It is simply delusional to think that you can separate the immigration crisis from the housing crisis or from the law and order crisis.”
“Politicians and elites are prone to delusions, but luckily the Irish people are not. You can keep ignoring them, but their numbers will only keep growing,” the Senator concluded.
Her comments come as Taoiseach Micheál Martin insisted his Government is not concerned by the large protest.
He said: “I don’t accept the negativity from those who spoke yesterday in respect of where modern Ireland is today.
“The level of opportunity is far in excess of what previous generations experienced..”
He said that while housing is “the big social issue of our day,” “we are focused on solutions.”
“The ballot box is the key determinant of the organisation of society and who gets into Government,” he added, referencing the recent General Election.