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SINN FÉIN’S THOMAS Gould has hit out at English nationalist and far-right activist Tommy Robinson, telling the Dáil that he is not welcome in Ireland.
Robinson, who’s real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is currently in Ireland to support ongoing anti-asylum seeker protests.
He confirmed that he was in the country in posts on social media.
Robinson, who founded the anti-Islam, far-right English Defence League in 2009, also ran in the 2019 European elections before the UK left the EU.
Speaking in the Dáil this evening, Gould said that there are currently rumours that Robinson is due to visit Cork in the coming days.
“There are rumours that a prominent English fascist will visit Cork in the coming days,” Gould said, not directly naming Robinson.
“I want to send a clear message out as a TD for Cork North Central and as a proud Corkman. There is no place on the streets for this man or for anyone who holds his views.”
Gould said: “Don’t let him fool you. He once said: ‘I have never felt a connection to Ireland or felt Irish,” referencing an interview that Robinson took part in.
“He doesn’t care about our communities, he doesn’t care about Ireland he cares about spreading his disgusting hate,” Gould said.
“We are better than that.”
Gould made the comments during a Dáil debate on the Government’s approach to to accommodating asylum seekers, telling TDs that one group of vulnerable people should not be pitched against another.
“I’m proud to be from the northside, I’m proud to be from Cork, I’m proud to be Irish and I’m a proud Republican,” Gould said.
“I will not stand and have our nationalist identity used by those who seek to sow hate in our communities.
“I spent 13 years campaigning on housing and against homelessness and for community services in Cork. Those who suddenly claim to care about our homeless, they didn’t stand with me in those campaigns.”
Recently, Robinson was handed down a five-year stalking order for shouting abuse outside the home of a female UK journalist and threatening repeatedly to return.
He also was fined £900 for contempt of court last August, after he failed to appear before the courts to be questioned about his finances.
Protests in opposition to refugees and refugee accommodation have become more prevalent in recent weeks, with new calls for the Government to challenge the narrative around single males arriving into Ireland.
Earlier today, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was told that the Department of Integration is seeing a significant reluctance among providers to provide accommodation for international protection applicants.
The secretary general said the department has run into particular challenges in accommodating single males.
“It is a particular challenge as I mentioned with single males, because a narrative seems to have gotten out there that single males somehow present a threat to communities – there is no evidence,” Kevin McCarthy said.
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The irony is palpable
@thesaltyurchin: a known migrant criminal being welcome by the anti immigrant
@thesaltyurchin: you’re spot on. Sinn Fein were early adaptors of the racism card.
https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/sinn-fein-td-warned-of-significant-conflict-between-locals-and-ukrainian-refugees-41942068.html
@Kevin Thompson: You have to apportion most of the blame for the recent rise in popularity for far right movements on Fine Gael. They are on their third stint in a row in government and allowed homelessness to develop into crisis on their watch. There are quite a few numpties out there who will use the failure of Fine Gael in housing as a reason to blame refugees for the kip this country has become. Tip for FFG, try planning for future disasters like homelessness and housing and surprise catastrophic events.
@Kevin Thompson: Well it’s the crowd telling him to F..Off..he should be concerned about,now we’ll see how committed a Nazi he is ?
@Frank Cauldhame: Dreamer!!
@Chris Gaffney: Sleeper !!
Ireland has taken in 77,000 Ukrainian migrants.
The UK has taken in 156,000 Ukrainian migrants.
Northern Ireland has taken in 1000 Ukrainian migrants.
Our population is 5million and NI is 2 million.
Tommy has lots of work to do here.
@Roger Bond: He has no work to do here.We are taking in more people than the UK so what. If you are that worried about homelessness thare are loads of groups you can join and help solve the problem.
Rather than importing right wing anti everybodyu but themselves people.
@Roger Bond: ah yeah Tommy. The man who wore a t-shirt praising the paratroopers responsible for bloody Sunday and said they were right to do what they did. You’re probably one of those muppets who think you’re a “patriot” too.
@Roger Bond: you handily ignore the migrant make-up of Britain and the volume of migrants they have taken over decades.
@Roger Bond: what do you suggest send them back. Turn our backs on the world except if our visitors are tourists so we can give them a thousand welcomes begorrah and take the lovely silver dollars. Maybe Tommy can give you a lift back I’m sure he’ll be expecting someone like you mister bond.
@Gearóid MacEachaidh: how come he was allowed enter the country
@Declan Joseph Deasy: what kind of question is that? What law would prevent him?
@Declan Joseph Deasy: didn’t mean that to sound the way it did. Ideally he wouldn’t be but unfortunately there is nothing to prevent him.
@Declan Joseph Deasy: Probably destroyed his passport and claiming asylum
@Roger Bond: We got rid of Tommy’s ilk 100 years ago,they came back once for a soccer match in landsdown Road ,and were ejected again…bye Tom
@Gerry Campbell: hmmm, agree with the sentiment, but the “we got rid” is a revision of history.
@Tipper Irie: Truth,but this time,let’s lob Mr Stephen Yaxley Lennon back across the pond.
All I hope for out of this is that our established parties enact some sensible immigration policies that is more than a turn up in our country and we’ll keep you policy. Our current strategy clearly isn’t working and I can forsee serious problems into the future, repeating the past mistakes of other countries. We don’t need people turning to Tommy Robinson or any other extremes on the opposite side of the political divide.
@Longlin: Sensible comment, which is praise here. I think that immigration on the whole is a net positive but when I see the backlash from quite a big portion of the population I feel that we need to do something to placate those before it becomes an even bigger issue and we swing too far the other way.
I agree. He is not welcome with the things he has said.
@Brian Boru: what things has he said?
@Brian Boru: elaborate please
It’s OK to have Sean Kelly canvassing for elections though
Deport him.
@Teresa O’Halloran: Depot him he is no threat to Ireland I would like to deport the un deportable sex pest “failed asylum seeker ” that’s protected by the ECHR .What’s wrong with this country
With friends like that you don’t need enemies.
Any Irish person or organisation that is involved with Yaxley-Lennon are showing their true colours. They are no better than that amadan.
@A Well Known Comical Stereotype: Because he exposes the many Pakistani Grooming gangs operating in England .
Let’s hope he gets a huge cork welcome if he goes there.
@alan: Well, he is a huge cork!
Damn autocorrect!
Sinn fein said what ?????? Are we allowed to laugh on here?
Thomas Gould sits beside an actual bomb maker in the Dail. Not words. Not protests. Real bombs. That go boom and kill. Maybe look in the mirror big man
It’s really a case of repeating a lie enough times that it becomes truth. Just listen to his Oxford Union speech on YouTube. All the guy ever does is expose the mass grooming of children and he’s public enemy number one. Panodrama is another great watch where they try to frame him with a Me Too scandal.
It’s crazy that this comes from Sinn Fein. Who are the Irish Nationalist party who, for so long have been fighting for Ireland for the Irish and that’s apparently leftism. But any suggestion of English nationalism is far right. These labels are worthless these days.
Everybody is far right now.
Robinson is the equivalent of “Durchfall”
Join the NDL!
@Pat Barry: Join the Navy!
@Billy Davies: I hear the Navy is beginning to recruit blind men, they are sending them out to sea.
Get out ya Black and Tan !
Robinson is a journalist and was in Ireland making a documentary film about recent large scale street protests which have happened .
have your say