Sir, – I doubt there are many among us who are not disgusted at the behaviour of those who recently joined the number of mindless creatures who have engaged in the burning of buildings designated to house asylum seekers.
We do, of course, empathise with those communities who are being used time and time again to absorb these people into their areas with the consequent detrimental effect on their schools, hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, and other facilities including bus and rail services.
I am not aware of how many people from around the globe have sought refuge on our shores but I know more than 60,000 people emigrated from Ireland in 2022 and probably a similar number the previous year. No doubt they will also be putting pressure on the facilities of the countries to which they have emigrated. Thankfully, in their case, they have chosen this path to perhaps better their circumstances, but they are no doubt very well educated and will enhance the progress of their new chosen homelands.
The unfortunates who have sought refuge with us will no doubt end up as citizens and in time make their contributions to their new homeland.
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The world is not in a good place at the moment so perhaps we should feel good about our capacity to offer our fellow creatures a safe haven for them and their children in a country that is safe from the ravages of conflict. Nollaig shona. – Yours, etc,
DENIS O’DONOGHUE,
Moate.