LIBERTAS CANDIDATE for Ireland East Raymond O’Malley has called for Ireland to close its borders to workers from fellow EU states.
Speaking on Today FM’s Last Word show with Matt Cooper, Mr O’Malley said: “I think a lot of people are very concerned too about the problem of immigration.
“While we’ve massive unemployment in this country, over the last five years we’ve had 500,000 people come in to this country and there has been a funnel effect.
“Ireland was one of only three EU countries that allowed the accession states to have free access to our labour market, possibly people don’t realise that.”
Pressed on whether he believed that it was wrong to open borders and allow free movement of labour, Mr O’Malley replied: “It was grand then but the problem is we’re now in a situation where we’ve massive unemployment, it’s getting worse and it’s unfair to immigrants and its unfair to Irish people.”The former deputy president of the Irish Farmers’ Association added: “You’ve got to stop the tide coming.”
When asked whether it was now Libertas policy to prevent any more workers from the 10 accession states from entering, Mr O’Malley answered: “Well I think as long as we have this rate of unemployment, yes.”
In a statement last night, Mr O’Malley reaffirmed his stance, saying “We need a strong voice in Europe to articulate people’s concerns on these issues, which is why I raised them on air this evening.
“The policy of the political establishment of ignoring this issue, which is of great concern to ordinary people, must change.”