‘No fake news’ minority groups urge candidates

KERRY Dáil candidates have been urged to fight fake news and learn the facts about refugees, asylum seekers and travellers at a briefing in Tralee on Tuesday morning.

Tralee International Resource Centre (TIRC) and the Kerry Travellers Health and Community Development Project group organised the joint information briefing session for all the political candidates running in the general election in Kerry.

Of the 13 candidates in Kerry only Fianna Fáil TD John Brassil and John Bowler Irish Freedom Party attended.

All other candidates did reply to the invitation but said they were unavailable to attend.

They will receive the fact sheet that was launched at the event.

The fact sheet sets out basic facts and figures about refugee’s asylum seekers and travellers in Ireland and specifically in Kerry.

It also outlines the facts that contradict many of the most frequently cited and completely inaccurate myths about asylum seekers and the travelling community.

Mary Carroll Coordinator of TIRC said the idea of the meeting was to inform and update the candidates on facts around immigration, asylum seekers, refugees, the traveller community and wider issues affecting these minority groups.

“We have called our campaign ‘No Fake News’ as recent debates in public have shown worrying trend in using language that vilifies immigrants or travellers,” she said.

“Our ‘No Fake News’ campaign wants to ensure that all candidates are fully informed and will be in a position to challenge any vilifying comments to minority groups that they may encounter on the campaign trail, and allow them to be fully briefed on this area,” Ms Carroll said.

Photo by Kinga Gerula Members of the Tralee international community met with some General Election candidates at the Tralee International Resource Centre on Tuesday morning.