Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

When I read this motion yesterday, I was highly amused or found it very strange that there was so much reference to Georgia, immigrants coming from Georgia, and the big study obviously done by the workers in Deputy McGrath's office to research Georgia. It is very interesting to see how obsessed they are with Georgia and Georgians. To be honest, I do not see how Georgians pose such a big threat. I was a bit late coming in here but I was listening to the debate and there is an element of the debate that we are leaving out, which is the question of the right to work. The late, great Shane McGowan will be laid to rest on Friday. No doubt Mattie McGrath will be at his funeral. Shane McGowan was an advocate for immigrants all over the world and wrote beautiful words celebrating immigration and the experience in particular of Irish people around the world when he sang:

Thousands are sailing

Again across the western ocean

Where the hand of opportunity

Draws tickets in a lottery.

That is exactly what it is like for immigrants who want to work and who want to contribute to society. They move across the planet because of war, persecution, discrimination and, increasingly, the impact of climate change. So get used to it Deputies. Immigration across the planet is going to increase. It is here to stay and we have to respect those people who want to come here to work, to contribute to society and to develop as real human beings.

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