Sir - It was with incredulity I read the opinion of Noel Ahern, TD. ("Coherent Strategy on asylum in Europe and Ireland needed", March 21st). His aim seems to be to insult the intelligence of readers by a combination of "spin" and crocodile tears for working class communities, with added side-swipes at the opposition and anti-racist groups. The most nauseating passages of Mr Ahern's article are those relating to the working class areas where many refugees live. He begins by stating that he is "a representative of a northside constituency" and wonders "where the debate left the people of a small small number of working class communities who have been asked to make the greatest adjustment to asylum seekers". Mr Ahern goes on to bemoan the fact that high numbers of asylum seekers "have come to live in a small number of communities". It gets better: "It would be unfair and wrong if communities which have been hammered in the past by poverty, social exclusion and disadvantage were left alone to manage the new issues and responsibilities which the growing asylum issue places on us all".
I note the careful abdication of all responsibility for the conditions of deprivation, which, he claims, are "in the past". It may be news to Mr Ahern but poverty, social exclusion and disadvantage still ravage inner city areas. But it is nice to be told that he is sympathetic and willing to help, as if this wasn't his job as a representative.
One could be forgiven for thinking that Fianna Fail had not been in government before, and thus never had the opportunity to address and provide resources to overcome at least some of the problems faced by working class communities.
This cod concern for communities is carefully infused with subtle scaremongering about the presence of refugees. The sole and only reason that asylum seekers are resident in these areas is because they also contain the cheapest and worst private rented accommodation. It is not the presence of black faces which is the problem, but rather the widely held view that asylum seekers are in competition with local people for resources, housing, welfare payments, etc. Instead of providing a bigger cake for everyone, for which abundant funds exist, working class people and new arrivals are encouraged to fight among themselves for their equal shares of poverty.
It is clear that Fianna Fail is gearing itself up into election mode. The abdication of responsibility and scapegoating of the most vulnerable in society is not a pretty sight and will inevitably get much worse. It is also transparent that, no matter which party wins, natives and newcomers will remain rotting in the slums and fighting a fruitless war of the poor against the poor. - yours, etc.,
Jo Tobin, Anti Fascist Action, PO Box 3355, Dublin 7.