Sir, – Mary McAleese has expressed worries about the status of Irish citizens in the United Kingdom in the event of British withdrawal from the European Union ("Mary McAleese warns about risk to status of Irish in Britain", June 16th).
In fact, the status of Irish citizens in the United Kingdom would continue to be determined after withdrawal from the EU by the Ireland Act 1949, a piece of legislation which is still on the statute book. The status of Irish citizens in the United Kingdom would not be affected by British withdrawal from the EU. – Yours, etc,
CDC ARMSTRONG,
Belfast.
Sir, – Recent correspondence from Irish citizens living in the UK appears to represent a curious case of Schrödinger’s immigrant: they are over here driving down wages and stealing our jobs while simultaneously sponging off welfare. There may be issues with service provision over here but it would be better to place the blame for this where it belongs – at the feet of this Tory government and not at the feet of immigrant people that demonstrably contribute to the economy of this nation. As a long-term Irish resident in the UK, I do not view the Taoiseach and his Ministers as foreign politicians, and the effects of the Brexit decision on Ireland are not a source of indifference to me. – Yours, etc,
Dr DOMHNALL
JENNINGS,
Newcastle upon Tyne.
Sir, – My partner moved to Galway from Manchester in 1990 – over a quarter of a century ago – and has lived in Ireland for half her life. Her parents are Irish. Two years ago, in May 2014, when my partner tried to engage Enda Kenny on the streets of Galway about water charges, he laughed and wagged his finger at her and said: “You’re not from Galway at all”. I hope the people of Manchester show better manners when the Taoiseach visits to appeal to British voters to remain in the EU. – Yours, etc,
ADRIAN WHITE,
Knocknacarra,
Galway.
Sir, – If one wants to know why so many will vote Leave in the upcoming referendum, they should look no further than the article by Richard Pine regarding the treatment of Greece by the European Union ("EU policy forces Greeks into a dire and downward spiral", June 16th).
Let us not fool ourselves that the EU is a community of nations concerned with social solidarity. – Yours, etc,
PAUL DORAN,
Clondalkin,
Dublin 22.