As a member of the Eastern Health Board I am both disgusted and depressed by the recent outburst by Ivor Callely, chairman of the EHB, in relation to asylum-seekers.

The Government's "doom-laden ad hoc" policy - to use Liz O'Donnell's words - has created tremendous pressure on the Eastern Health Board, in the past two years in particular. The EHB has much to contribute to this debate, but the sad reality is that our chairman chose to scapegoat asylum-seekers rather than address the deeper issues.

Only days after the system to deal with asylum-seekers plunged into chaos with those dreadful scenes outside the Refugee Application Centre Ivor Callely chose to point the finger at some of the most vulnerable people in Irish society. He might, instead, have focused on the abject failure of this Government to frame a coherent immigration policy.

Ivor Callely must know the import of his words. At present we are witnessing a growing tide of racist opinion in Ireland, particularly in parts of Dublin. To suggest that many asylum-seekers are only here to rip off the system feeds into this worrying trend. To portray them as a problem, as a drain on the State's resources, only serves to ghettoise these people.

Official policies, under which it takes years to process asylum applications, with applicants virtually debarred from working, exacerbate the problem. In addition, the failure of Government to ensure that other health boards share responsibility for welfare and housing is creating a volatile situation in many communities. For a Government TD to give credence to the claim that the 4,000 asylum-seekers who came to our shores this year are preventing people from getting jobs or houses is disingenuous. Housing, unemployment and homelessness are problems of our own making. We now have the resources available to make a real difference on all these fronts.

To claim that asylum-seekers are exacerbating the problem is downright shameful. This Government's failure to invest our new-found wealth in tackling urgent social problems is the reason over 50,000 people are on the local authority housing lists.

Fianna Fail might do better to examine its own legacy of failure on these crucial issues before a prominent backbencher attempts to scapegoat asylum-seekers as being in some way responsible.

Immigration is a new phenomenon in Ireland. We have the benefit of learning from the tragic mistakes that other European countries have made over the past three decades and ensuring that we don't repeat these mistakes. Dealing with difference is challenging. However, it is a challenge that we must face up to and address in a positive manner.

There is no small irony in the current situation. An economic immigrant seeking to enter the country has no option but to apply for asylum. But they are then prevented from working and have to struggle on supplementary welfare payments.

Yet the absurdity of this policy is that sections of the economy are crying out for labour. One might imagine that the Government would take steps to accommodate immigrant labour and integrate people into Irish society. But for some reason it refuses to do so.

It was revealing that the Taoiseach has, this far, failed to distance himself from the remarks of his backbencher. During a controversy that demands decisive political leadership the best he could do was to say that "the remarks made during the course of the last week just make a difficult situation more difficult". Hardly inspiring stuff.

As chairman of the EHB, Ivor Callely has a responsibility to promote and protect the needs of the people we serve, regardless of their colour, class or creed. He has failed to do so.

The EHB meets again in mid-December. At this meeting I feel it is imperative that board members take a stand for tolerance and decency and distance themselves totally from Ivor Callely's comments. The board must hold the chairman to account for his actions and dissociate itself from his brand of cheap politics.

Roisin Shortall, a former chair- woman of the Eastern Health Board, is Labour Party spokeswoman on children and the family