Republican News · Thursday 28 February 2002

Immigration Control Platform must be challenged

Sinn Féin representative for Dublin South Central, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, has called on all those who will be seeking election for the constituency to make a commitment that they will not play politics with the race issue in the run up to the election. This follows the announcement of Áine Ni Chonaill of the Immigration Control Platform that she is to contest the constituency in the upcoming election.

"Over the last number of months we have seen cynical attempts to stir up racial hatred in advance of the general election," said Ó Snodaigh. "The announcement by the Immigration Control Platform that it is to contest Dublin South Central on an overtly racist platform is deeply worrying.

"The ICP's claim to represent the silent majority in Irish society is a challenge to all of us to stand up and have our voices heard. We want an Ireland based on tolerance, respect and mutual understanding.

"It is the responsibility of all of us to give leadership on this issue and to make a public, united stand against racism. Therefore, I am calling on candidates in the constituency to make a commitment that they will not play politics with the race issue. And I am calling on party leaders to ensure that they will not allow candidates to use the race issue to score short-term political points. Racism, of any form, cannot be tolerated."

* Sinn Féin South Dublin County Councillor Seán Crowe has congratulated local people and council workers for painting out racist and neo-Nazi graffiti that has recently appeared in Tallaght, County Dublin.

A swastika daubed in red and a Ku Klux Klan death threat painted in large white letters at two separate locations in Tallaght have been painted over by local residents and South Dublin County Council staff.

"There are probably only one or two twisted individuals behind these racist incidents, so we should not over-react about the scale of the problem," said Crowe, "but they are still an incitement to hatred. People should report any such slogans to South Dublin County Council because they are threatening to people in our community and they paint an unfair picture of the overwhelming majority of people in Tallaght who are not racist."