Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

The options are to run this as an issue on its own, to run it with an as yet uncertain presidential election later this year or to put it to the people while they are already going to the polls on the local and European elections. To the extent that racism is likely to feature at all in a referendum campaign, the first of these options is in fact the most likely to engender that sort of heat since there is nothing else for the electorate to consider except the single issue. If the matter is to be put to the people along with a presidential election — about which there is a great deal of doubt as there is as yet no indication of any worthwhile opposing candidate——

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