TD: Ministers gaslighting the people
A TD has slammed the ‘unrelenting arrogance’ and ‘gaslighting’ by the Government of communities that raise concerns about the arrival of refugees.
A number of ministers have now pledged to improve ‘communications’ on the immigration issue. Independent TD Carol Nolan claimed the Government’s ‘communications strategy’ was actually ‘inflaming a sense among ordinary people that they are being actively gaslit by their own political leaders’.
The Community Recognition Fund – which rewards communities dealing with large numbers of refugees – will be doubled from €50million to €100million, the Irish Daily Mail has learned.
Ms Nolan asked: ‘How are we going to address this issue with any kind of credibility if members of this Government continue to treat the vast majority of people as absolute fools?
‘They are acting and speaking as if they and they alone are possessed of some form of elite insight on these issues. They are gaslighting the people. I have been consistently calling for a fact-based, constructive debate since I broke the self-imposed parliamentary omerta on this matter last year during my debate with Minister Darragh O’Brien.
‘To date, Government members have pursued with incomprehensible zealotry the quite frankly bizarre policy of telling people that they are essentially either morons, racist or misinformed whenever they raise concerns.’
The Laois-Offaly TD added: ‘What has that led to except an ever-deepening level of polarisation and an erosion of the ability to generate trust?’
Negotiations are ongoing between Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys and the Department of Public Expenditure, and the memo is expected to go to Cabinet in a fortnight.
A minister confirmed the Coalition ‘is looking at a significant increase in the Community Recognition Fund’. Though Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has raised concerns that just 3% of the current fund has been spent, one senior Coalition source said: ‘When it comes to spending money, few are better than Heather. Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman is struggling to meet his deadline to provide a comprehensive plan to deal with Ireland’s refugee crisis by the first week of February. One source said: ‘This is coming from the stars who brought you the National Children’s Hospital, the Metro, and a host of other debacles.’ Justice Minister Helen McEntee is expected to will make a decision shortly on adding more states to the ‘safe countries’ list, with reports she plans to extend the number of countries to 20.
Safe countries are where it can be shown there is generally no persecution, torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and no threat by reason of indiscriminate violence in situations of conflict. The current countries are Albania; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Georgia; Kosovo; Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of); Montenegro; Serbia; and South Africa.
Minister McEntee told RTÉ’s This Week: ‘Six out of ten who shouldn’t be coming this particular route, yes, in that sense, it’s a crackdown, they see they’re going to be processed quicker.
‘Now it’s in less than 60 days they’re going to be turned around.’
‘Telling people they’re essentially morons’