Sir, - In her latest bizarre and illogical attack on asylum-seekers (October 24th) Aine Ni Chonaill says that an injustice is perpetrated on Irish people when unsuccessful asylum applicants are not deported. Because of this injustice her organisation has called on the Government to opt out of the Geneva Convention covering asylum seeking and refugee status.
She is not specific about the nature of this injustice. Is it the financial burden we have to face? If so, it is a small burden compared with that imposed upon us by the dealings of beef barons, bankers and building contractors. These would be better targets for her campaigns than asylum-seekers. But maybe it is not the money that is at issue. Perhaps there is some other way in which asylum-seekers offend her?
Her proposed solution to this "injustice" is misdirected, to say the least. While she does not identify who is responsible for this "injustice", she does clearly identify those who should pay. Payment in full is to be collected from asylum-seekers, including those fleeing death and torture. Because of a supposed failure on behalf of people in Ireland - primarily the rather wealthy and comfortable members of our Government - she wishes to make victims of those suffering in other parts of the globe. What a strange sense of "justice" she has!
If her figures are correct, then 10 per cent of asylum-seekers are granted asylum in this country. Her proposal would deny these people the opportunity to get to Irish shores and seek asylum. She would condemn them to torture and death. For what? Is it money? If so, maybe she could tell us how much she thinks each butchered or tortured foreigner is worth? - Yours, etc., Roland Tormey,
Avondale Court, Corbally, Limerick.