Leahy and McNamara dispute migration record

Deputy Michael McNamara (Ind) has rejected claims that he “latched on to the immigration issue now to gain traction in the European elections”.
In a statement issued to The Clare Champion, Irish Freedom Party Ireland South candidate, Micheal Leahy IFP claimed Sinn Féin and Michael McNamara have recently latched on to the immigration issue to gain traction in the European election, but neither of them will be effective on this issue.
Mr Leahy stated the IFP’s stance on immigration has been consistent since the party’s registration in 2020 as it believes immigration should be controlled effectively to suit the interests of ordinary Irish people.
“Sinn Féin and Michael McNamara have both finally come round to mentioning the immigration issue now that they are in an election,” he said.
“Sinn Féin have, until literally the last few weeks, been a strongly pro-immigration party and they are allied with the Left groups in the parliament. It is very difficult to see how they can be effective in curbing the madness of open borders migration into Europe while they remain so allied.
“Michael McNamara has also recently identified immigration as a potential vote-getter. His position would have a great deal more credibility if he had supported the calls of the Irish Freedom Party to end mass migration four years ago.
“ If he is to have any credibility on this matter, he also needs to indicate with which parties within the parliament he is prepared to do business.
“In 2007, Mr McNamara debated against me in his support of the Lisbon Treaty, which dramatically reduced the influence of smaller countries within the EU, and he has consistently supported expansion of EU power over the nation states. The expanded power of the major states within the EU led to the disastrous policies enacted unilaterally by Germany in opening its doors in 2015 and has led successively to destabilisation of European migration policy, with disastrous consequences for Ireland.
“The only way that destabilisation can now be fought is by aligning with Eurosceptic parties in the European Union such as the ECR group and the IDD group. The Irish Freedom party will ally with such parties in order to protect Ireland’s interests.
“As a former employee of the United Nations and a candidate with a strongly red tinge to his election literature, it seems unlikely that Mr McNamara will form an alliance with any group which is serious about tackling immigration, giving power back to the nation states, fighting the radicalism of the Green Agenda or reining in the power of European commission.”
“Indeed, it is difficult to see that either Sinn Féin or Mr McNamara will not revert to type immediately after the election and adopt the pro-open borders policies that have been endemic in the country over the last years and which neither of them has opposed until very recently.”
Deputy McNamara said he has no interest in gettting into a row with another candidate, especially one from Clare, even though Mr Leahy seems to be seeking one to ignite his campaign.
“A couple of weeks ago, he was hurling insults at President Michael D Higgins about his physical attributes and appearance,” said Mr McNamara.
While Deputy McNamara is concentrating on his own campaign, he said he needed to correct the “inaccuracies” in Mr Leahy’s statement.
“I have questioned government policy on migration, health, housing, agriculture, energy and every other policy area, during the lifetime of this Dáil and long before I considered running in these elections,” said the East Clare Deputy.
“As the Dáil debates show, as far back as 2015, I called for a proper debate in the Dáil on the International Protection Bill.
“Then, as now, an efficient and fair immigration and asylum system was needed. The long delays in decision-making of which I have always been critical are adding enormously to the burden on State-provided accommodation for asylum-seekers.
“While I worked on UN projects in Afghanistan, Sudan and Yemen, I was never a “UN employee”, not that it would be anything to be ashamed of or embarrassed about.
“Many Clare people have served with distinction in the UN, the EU and other such organisations. Most would celebrate their achievements.
“I campaigned for the Lisbon Treaty which, in its Protocol 21, has an opt-out on Justice and Immigration matters so that Ireland was, and is, free to forge and follow its own laws in that area.
“The acceptance of EU laws in these areas is a choice of our democratically elected representatives in the Oireachtas, which, up to now have accepted less than half of the EU’s laws in the area of asylum and migration.
“However, that’s about to change with the Government’s proposal to adopt most of the EU Migration Pact.
“So, up to now, any failures of policy in this area are entirely of our own making but, I suppose, it’s always easier to blame the EU. It worked for Boris Johnson for a while.
“We live in a democracy, he has chosen to put his name before the people and I wish him well.”
The Sinn Féin Party was also contacted by The Clare Champion for their reaction to Mr Leahy’s claims, but no response was received at the time of going to press.