A chara, - At the recent launch of the Irish Hospitality Institute's diversity awards, Minister for Integration Conor Lenihan said migration had "alleviated labour shortages, boosted economic activity and widened the range of services" in Ireland ( The Irish Times, April 18th).
However, the Minister failed to allude to the overall cost to the Irish taxpayer of the recent surge in migration.
Of course, private enterprise, and especially the hospitality industry, has benefited greatly from the ready supply of migrant workers, which has helped repress wage levels, but more particularly because employers have been able, while availing of lower-cost labour, to transfer the burden of supporting these workers in the realm of public services on to the general taxpayer.
Consider what the additional costs are under the headings of education, healthcare, public housing, integration and the general burden placed on our national infrastructure. All of this financial burden falls on the Irish taxpayer, as the individual employers are allowed to avail of the migrant's work, but without contributing to the ancillary costs associated with each migrant worker, and, perhaps, also their dependants. What impact, for example, has this increased migration had on our already inadequate health services, apart from those migrants actually working in the health service?
The recent British House of Lords finding that migration has few benefits for a host society is probably closer to the truth than the rosy picture now painted by Mr Lenihan. But then, political correctness ensures that he will not be challenged on the accuracy of his frequently expressed mantra that large-scale immigration is good for Ireland.
Could he not agree, at least, that employers should meet the costs to the taxpayer of public services, including integration services, used by their foreign workers?
- Is mise,
LIAM Ó GÉIBHEANNAIGH, Áth an Ghainimh, Co Átha Cliath.