A chara, - 1997 was designated as European Year Against Racism. In Ireland, though, it was the year when much intolerance was shown towards asylum seekers. And now reports suggest that the Government plans to introduce sweeping measures to enable the deportation of asylum seekers, who may have no guarantee of a fair hearing.
1997 was also the 150th anniversary of an Gorta Mor, the Great Famine. Only a handful of the Famine's lost generation ended up making fortunes in the New World. Survivors of the coffin ships frequently had to endure virulent anti-Irish racism in their adopted countries.
How ironic, then, that 150 years later some Irish people are treating asylum seekers who come here with a similar hostility to that our ancestors experienced.
And 1997 was the year when almost every commentary on our economy had to contain the words "Celtic Tiger". As we boast to the world of our economic successes, it seems that our humble past has become an embarrassment.
Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace, tolerance and goodwill. The Government could demonstrate that spirit by granting asylum seekers the right to proper legal aid, the right to work while their applications are being processed and the right to appeal against a deportation order. It could allocate proper resources to processing applications for asylum and insist that all officials handling applications are educated about human rights.
Recent indications, however, suggest that the only Christmas presents which the Government will offer asylum seekers are deportation orders. - Is mise,
Green Party spokeswoman on justice and human rights, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2.