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SINN FÉIN LEADER Gerry Adams has strongly criticised the former chairman of the Conservative party for saying he hoped that a dissident republican group would shoot Martin McGuinness.
Norman Tebbit made the comments as the Sinn Féin deputy leader attended the banquet at Windsor Castle last night as part of Michael D Higgins’s state visit to Britain.
“There’s always the possibility that a member of the Real IRA will be so outraged by Mr McGuinness bowing to the Queen that they might shoot him in the back for it,” Tebbit said. “We can but hope”.
Tebbit was hurt and his wife was left permanently disabled by an IRA bomb at the Brighton hotel where the Conservative party was holding its conference in 1984.
Gerry Adams said Tebbit was calling for the assassination of McGuinness, and said political leaders in the UK and Ireland should reject his comments.
“I fully understand that Norman Tebbit has himself been a victim of the political conflict and I regret that he has suffered greviously,” Adams said.
“However, to publicly advocate the assassination of Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness is a shocking throwback to a violent past from which we are seeking to move on. The State visit is another important milestone in doing that.
“The remarks by Mr Tebbit are another clear example of why the issue of the past needs to be dealt with as a political priority”.
McGuinness had said before the dinner that he was aware his decision to attend would present challenges for Irish republicans, but said it would be another significant step in the peace process.
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You mean “illegal immigrants”? I ask because that’s what we call people who sneak into our country.
I may be wrong, but it appears that the Irish government has double standards. It is OK if illegal/undocumented immigrants are Irish, but not OK if they aren’t Irish.
Why is this?
Because Ireland is the home of double standards.
We were there first.
And undocumented human beings being forced to live in public toilets.
They weren’t forced to live in public toilets, they choose to. They were housed by the charity groups in Ennis but had to leave because of behavour caused by the alcohol. They were also given a home in Galway city recently but left it and returned to Ennis and started living rough again after only a week. You shouldnt use these poor unfortunates to make a incorrect point.
Thanks Pat for your comment. However, I would like to add that the unfortunate Czech National was not an illegal immigrant. The Czech Republic entered the EU in 2004 so the poor gentleman had more rights than an illegal immigrant. Furthermore, the late Mr. Pavelka gave his family the impression that he was doing well here in Ireland.
In this case, the late Mr. Pavelka made the choice to live rough and ignore support from the state.
That’s the kind of thing people say about the homeless Irish in London…
Exactly they are illegal aliens. If they regularised it will be for economic reasons. I have a family member over there illegally but it is a sub life that illegal people choose.
Lemass was offered buy declined an open visa programme in the 1960s bizarrely,
Not quite. Ireland had a yearly quota of 50, 000 American green cards per year – Lemass wanted the youth to stay at home, so rescinded the deal. What a stupid thing to do, other small countries would love a similar deal.
Also, if I were illegally in Ireland (im not, I swears) id get as many people as possible, in a similar position as myself, to write a letter to the American ambassador(Dan Rooney?) to Ireland to highlight the Irish governments hypocrisy on this issue.
Theres similar number of illegal immigrants here, as there are Irish over there. Lets be realistic – neither groups are going to ever leave. Probably best to legalise both and then become more stringent on incomers.
Undocumented? Illegal immigrants I would have thought.
Get our country in order first. Legal immigrants face hugh increase in price of visas and documents.schools and colleges go bankrupt and leave foreign students with nothing. Cost of citizenship is over 1k. Criteria to setup business here and be granted business visa is to have 300k in bank and employ 2 irish citizens.
As for illegal here, employees hold all the power and face only slap on wrist if caught paying next to nothing. If we imposed zero tolerence how many would loose childcare? All the conditions that illegals face in USA are the same and worse here.
So buy getting our country in order first… Do you mean have America return all the illegal Irish to Ireland and Ireland return all of the illegal immigrants to their countries of orgin? Then permit all to apply and use the legal routes of entry into each country?
@marlon no i dont want a population of 18 million in ireland. What i am saying is that both countries need immigration and a balance in legislation to be made in order to have less illegal. when you are seeking legal entry, you face so many costs and barriers that only promote the opposite or leave people changing status every 2nd year or stuck here illegal after working for 5 years.
Without immigration in USA it has been shown that statistically many industries would be in trouble 50% workforce on farms are immigrants and qaurter construction and child minding rough stats taken from hispanic centres. While we were in boom years it would not have been possible without a immigrant workforce and in hardtimes childcare is a major priority.
Barney R, I believe we are in agreement regarding the fact that America and Ireland both need immigration. However, I believe that we are not in agreement regarding the legality of the immigration. An Irish Illegal\undocumented immigrant in America is unacceptable and these persons are criminals. An Illegal\undocumented immigrant in Ireland is unacceptable and these persons are criminals.
Hundreds of people in both countries go through the proper channels and procedures to enter and remain. Why should persons who by-passed immigration laws be given legal status?
I believe the Irish government should stop lobbying America to permit illegal\undocumented Irish immigrants to remain and instead enacting a reciprocity program.
Funny that america was a powerhouse before the ted kennnedy immigration reform bill. No country needs mass immigration. The farmers can modernise rather than rely on cheapo labour.
have your say