Mayo councillor slams immigration motion as 'a big mistake'

An elected member of Mayo County Council has expressed his deep disappointment with his colleagues on a motion to block further efforts to house immigrants and asylum seekers in the county.

Castlebar Fine Gael Councillor Ger Deere said it made the county’s new residents feel fearful and uncomfortable - a situation that is totally unfair and created by people elected to provide leadership.

Councillor Deere said he regrets not opposing the motion and he wanted the public to be fully aware of his views in supporting all immigrants.

He stated: “I know mistakes have been made by the government but two wrongs don’t make a right.

“I got heckled when I stood up at the council meeting by people who have taken their guidance from false information.

“The council should be challenging misinformation, not compounding it.

“We should be making life easier for people who have ran from life-threatening situations. We should be creating schemes in which they could work, because that’s what they want to do.

“We should have sat down with representatives of the Department of Integration to tease out issues that have arisen. Instead, we turned our back on them which, to me, is totally unacceptable.

“Castlebar is a welcoming town and Mayo is a welcoming county. Those creating a climate which suggests otherwise are totally wrong.

“When I finish as a councillor, I have to go back to being Ger Deere. In my conscience, I could not support the motion.”