Gleeson has got the wrong script

THE claim by Brendan Gleeson that Ireland is “basically America now” and a land of opportunity will come as a bit of a shock to anyone with a family earning less than €50,000 a year.

The actor’s assertion that the country should be looking to double its population to 10 million is even more preposterous when the State can’t provide housing and a health service for five million.

The Harry Potter star’s claims are all the more disappointing as in the past been very vocal on social issues but now he appears to be repeating Leo Varadkar’s empty guff six years ago about Ireland being the “Republic of Opportunity”.

In an interview with the Sunday Independent last weekend, the 68-year-old said: “We are essentially the United States of America now, a place where people come to find prosperity, opportunity – to find life.”

Heaven forbid, for this is not only a flawed analogy, it is also a distinctly dangerous one as the US has always been a hotbed of racial and ethnic tensions, often driven by mass immigration.

Then again, unfortunately there are recent signs that this country could also be heading in that direction as well.

While he may be right in that America was a land of opportunity, the Native Americans who were driven from their ancestral lands by foreign opportunists might not agree.

Although a secondary school teacher, geography was obviously not his speciality as he also seems to forget that the US is 140 times the size of Ireland.

We are used to Government politicians spouting such nonsense but, for me, it was deeply disappointing coming from a man who should, and did, know better.

After all it was an outraged and “disgusted” Brendan Gleeson who went on The Late Late Show on St Patrick’s Day in 2006 and called for overseas aid agency Goal to be deployed to sort out the ailing health service.

He thundered that it was “disgusting we let people die while we have billions” and added that the electorate should “shoot themselves” rather than reelect the Fianna Fail government.

Well Brendan, the electorate didn’t shoot themselves, except maybe in the foot, because Fianna Fail is back in power again and the health service is many times more dysfunctional than it was 18 years ago.

Even young people are dying in the grossly overcrowded A&E departments while families on very modest incomes are forced to take out expensive health insurance because they are not entitled to medical cards.

While the Emerald Isle might look green and prosperous from the Hollywood Hills, since Brendan made his infamous Late Late rant the hospital waiting lists have ballooned and so too has the population.

Unfortunately the resources put in place to cope with the increased number of people coming to the country have been totally inadequate and this has led to increased social tensions.

Brendan should try telling the multitudes enduring days on chairs and trolleys at University Hospital Limerick or the parents of scoliosis children waiting years for treatment that the country needs another five million people.

When we have governments that cannot and will not provide affordable housing and an adequate health service, even a modest increase in population could have serious social implications.

During the week a survey by Barnardos found that 41% of parents said they are skipping meals or reducing portion sizes to enable their children to eat. Food for thought in a country where it appears families are increasingly having the opportunity to go hungry.

It was somewhat ironic that Brendan Gleeson made his comments on the same weekend that the Irish Times released a heartbreaking video highlighting the plight of young people who have all but given up hope of ever owning a home.

Far from living in a land of opportunity some of those interviewed were contemplating leaving the country to find a better life abroad as they cannot afford to live here.

Those interviewed represented what you could say are our brightest and best, potential doctors and surgeons whose future skills would be needed in the health service.

One wit claimed on social media that those in the video should go on holiday, destroy their travel documents and on their return they will be entitled to free housing, healthcare and have their university fees paid as well.

Unfortunately for the vast majority of Irish people Ireland is far from a land of opportunity and if there is any similarity with the US it’s down to understanding the plight of the American Indians.

This is not only a flawed analogy but distinctly dangerous