Tomás Ó Flatharta

One person who read this document wrote “shocking”.

Another observed “Galloway, Wagenknecht and now Sinn Féin. And at least one “Leftie” in Ireland moaning about the famous single unvetted male”.

The good news is that sincere anti-racist voters in Britain, Germany, and Ireland are realising that “Red-Brown” politics stink. In the Dublin Central  constituency, where one of the 4 Dáil Deputies is SF leader Mary-Lou McDonald TD, the party’s 1st preference vote went down 12.3 per cent. SF got a warning that it was losing support to its left and right.

Many SF members are anti-racists. They must speak out now, because evidence suggests that the party leadership is doubling down to promote a new suite of racist policies.

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Sinn Féin to challenge asylum centres in poor areas

See also :

Facebook link; Irish republicans opposed to SF anti-immigrant policy

The party is directing its members to take a more forceful approach to blocking accommodation for asylum seekers and refugees in deprived areas.

Sinn Fein is directing party members to take a more forceful ­­app­roach to blocking accommodation for asylum seekers and refugees in deprived areas.

A new policy document written by Matt Carthy, Sinn Fein’s migration spokesman, outlines how the party plans to step up opposition to centres in poor communities in an attempt to force the government to choose more affluent areas for international protection accommodation.

Members are told, however, that it is “important to be guided by republican principles” and warned that they should “never engage in anything that could be construed as anti-migrant/racist or with those who use racist rhetoric­”.

A draft of the directive, seen by The Sunday Times, tells party ­representatives to “demand information” from the Department of Justice on any proposed centre and to “demand community engagement” before decisions are made to move asylum seekers into any areas.

A senior Sinn Fein source said: “The party will be much more forceful in demanding such centres­ are not located in areas of ­deprivation or in communities where services are already under pressure.”

Sinn Fein has recently taken a more combative approach to its role in opposition. It follows the party’s announcement that it will not travel to the US for this year’s St Patrick’s events in Washington DC.

It is understood that the move was intended to encourage further scrutiny of the taoiseach’s commitment to engage fully with the events despite President Trump’s comments about the annexation of Gaza and his criticism of Ukraine while negotiating with Russia.

In Carthy’s strategy, called “Guidance for Sinn Fein representatives — responding to proposals to open an IPAS [International Protection Accommodation Services] centre in your constituency”, he lists a 12-step plan for members to follow.

It includes an instruction to demand full information on proposed centres and community consultations on the plans, after which representatives are told to “publicise that you have demanded this”.

Sinn Fein’s migration policy and its policy on where IPAS centres should be located are outlined in the document and anything contrary to these proposals should “not be supported”.

Its policy states that new centres should be built only in areas that have the capacity to deal with them. “That means in more affluent areas that have the necessary services and capacity,” it says.

The location of IPAS centres should be dictated by “the availability of services including GPs and school places, proximity to transport and existing levels of disadvantage in areas”, the policy reads. Sinn Fein representatives are told to contact the local authority to find out if the centre will require planning permission. If it does, this should be considered an opportunity to make a submission, and stakeholders such as “schools, health services, local authority community services, local ‘welcomes’ groups and gardai” should be engaged on the proposal.

Representatives are urged to engage with the community by knocking on doors, using local and social media to “let people know what you are doing”.

The guide reads: “Be mindful that we are not the government. There is always a balance to be struck between seeking and communicating information and becoming the focal point for any proposals.”

Sinn Fein also intends to gather information on where IPAS centres are located, with representatives asked to send details of proposed centres and what action party reps have taken locally so that Carthy’s office can “keep an overview of what is happening across the state”.

Guidance was also issued on what should be done when IPAS applicants are moved “suddenly to a different location”.

In this instance, representatives are asked to seek information from the department and engage with IPAS and with those who have raised concerns, as well as informing Carthy’s office.

The directive follows criticism that the party said it had faced for not reflecting the views of its supporters on migration.

Following disappointing local election results, Mary Lou McDonald, the Sinn Fein leader, said that the party would seek to offer “clarity” to its supporters on where the party stood on immigration.