Robinson says Ireland not ‘immune’ from anti-migration sentiment

Former Irish President Mary Robinson has said Ireland shouln’t think it is “immune” from a strong anti-immigration sentiment.

Ms Robinson said a taxi driver had said to her recently “we don’t talk about migration in this country” and that “if anybody ran on ‘close the borders in Ireland’, they would get elected, they would be Taoiseach in the morning”.

“I think that is the sentiment, we shouldn’t think that we’re immune from a strong anti-migration [SENTIMENT], it’s just that we don’t talk about it in a very aggressive way,” Ms Robinson said.

“But underlying we’re not as good as we should be and we know from the fact that we haven’t taken in as many refugees etc.”

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Ms Robinson was speaking at the Berkeley Comparative Equality and Anti-Discrimination Law Study Group’s annual conference at Trinity College, Dublin on Thursday morning.

“As a former President, I leave the current decision makers to decide” when it comes to climate change and meeting the EU 2020 climate and energy targets, she said.

Climate justice

“I restrain myself. I may say things privately and I do to leaders as much as I can, but I won’t say anything publicly because I’ve had my turn and it’s for other leaders,” she added.

Ms Robinson said she is currently producing a book on climate justice in conjunction with a writer based in America, which is due out next year.

“I may be able to tell stories but when I go to write them down, they don’t come out as well as they should. So, I’ve got a very good writer, she’s based in Washington, I’ll be with her again next week. We’re almost finished and it will come out next year,” she said.

Ms Robinson said she wasn’t sure what the title of the book will be but that it would include a “mix of stories” about climate justice.

The former President also touched on US President Donald Trump’s repudiation of the Paris Climate Agreement.

“Many people, myself included voiced strong criticism of this decision and I pointed out that it constitutes a double injustice.

“As the biggest historic emitter and one of the current largest emitters, the United States has a significant responsibility for the unjust and severe impacts caused in vulnerable countries and communities, which haven’t contributed to the problem,” she said.

Ms Robinson told the conference at this stage she finds herself “thanking Mr Trump” as his actions had led to the creation of a climate initiative ‘We are still in’, which pledges support to the Paris Climate Agreement and has been signed by various leaders, businesses and colleges in the US.

“He has provoked more dynamic climate action than any of us could have done before,” Ms Robinson said.