Mayor warns of immigrant 'backlash'

RISING UNEMPLOYMENT will test the tolerance of Irish people towards immigrants, Ireland’s first black mayor has said.

Councillor Rotimi Adebari, the Mayor of Portlaoise, said the threat of social unrest caused by the slowdown in the economy needed to be addressed urgently by the Government.

In the last year Portlaoise has been one of the towns worst affected by the economic slowdown, which has seen unemployment nationally rise from 4.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent, with a prediction that it will reach 6 per cent by the end of this year.

A report by Davy Stockbrokers predicted it will rise even further to 7 per cent in 2009.

According to figures released last month, the number on the live register in Portlaoise increased by 70 per cent from 935 in April 2007 to 1,389 in April this year.

The increase was particularly pronounced among men, with the live register up by 84 per cent in the same period.

Mr Rotimi, whose term as mayor ends next month, said unemployment in the town was a direct result of a slump in construction, which had a knock-on effect on security, estate agencies and other activities which are dependent on the industry.

“When economies slow down, migrants are always a target. I hate the word ‘tolerance’, because I want to be accepted, not tolerated. However, this is a time that will test the tolerance of the Irish people.”

Mr Rotimi was speaking at the annual conference of the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU) which, by coincidence, held its annual conference in Portlaoise yesterday.

He said migrants helped to create the boom, but should not be held responsible for the employment slowdown. “It is not because migrants are here that we are having this recession.”

One delegate said there was mounting resentment among Irish workers who were being undercut by unscrupulous employers hiring cheaper migrant workers. Frank McDonnell, of the Limerick Centre for the Unemployed, said companies are laying off Irish staff and replacing them with labour from eastern Europe in a similar manner to what happened at Irish Ferries two years ago.

He said there were construction companies in the Limerick area which no longer employed Irish workers. He described the practice as happening “left, right and centre” in construction and haulage. “We are well aware of people being treated like slaves. There is resentment building up and it is fuelling racism.”