Comments on: Michael McDowell launches New Immigration Bill

By: mairead

mairead — Tue, 22 May 2007 22:11:46 +0000

I think identification cards are not a bad idea, imagine my shock horror when my ‘lovely’ portuguese flatmate of two years was arrested when he went home for a holiday because he was wanted for shotting a police officer, smuggling anfd dealing with illegal wepons and drugs.

Also whilst I welcome people from other EU states, I think there should be some sort of control on other nationalities entering the country, just as there is when we go to Australia or New Zealand to work, i.e we have a limited visa permitting us to work and live in the country.

I have nothing against foreigners, I have friends from Poland, Albania, and the Congo, but for the long term economic health of the country, some limitations have to be set. We simply do not have the infrastructure to deal with such an influx of people. Our health service is a disastor, our schools are over crowded, and housing is overpriced and limited.

By: Pete

Pete — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 15:50:38 +0000

I welcome this move to bring ID cards in. Much needed. Theres too many foreigners in Ireland anyway. Anytime I walk down Dublin city, I have to be constantly reminded that Dublin is an Irish city. We need to keep up to track with the way immigration has gone recently. We don’t want a country where Irish people will become a minority.

By: Ciarán

Ciarán — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 10:52:36 +0000

…they don’t have an ID card because they’re a naturalised Irish citizen

Or because they are an Irish citizen born in Ireland. Or because they are a French citizen, since this wouldn’t apply to people from the EU.

I wonder what rights Gardaí would have to force identification from a person who they suspected of being a foreign national but who claims to be and EU citizen and has no ID? Could they detain them until their identity is established?

By: Wednesday

Wednesday — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:22:03 +0000

Obviously the ID card requirement is going to have the biggest impact on people who “look like” foreigners. I wonder what’s going to happen when someone who was born in Nigeria or China tells a guard that they don’t have an ID card because they’re a naturalised Irish citizen.

By: Brendan Lawlor

Brendan Lawlor — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:48:17 +0000

WTF!!??
He’s moved from grumpy old windbag to dangerous wingnut in the blink of an eye.

By: Adam

Adam — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:19:22 +0000

I’m not sure what the point of the biometric card is and if they’re legally resident here I don’t know why they should have to carry a card when us Irish-born residents do not.

And what about EU citizens? I have a funny feeling that everyone with a funny accent will be getting hauled down the station because they don’t have a card on them – even though they’re from France or Poland or Germany.

This bill doesn’t seem to mean much in terms of asylum seekers either – it’s just about immigrants trying to get work permits.