"People need to take a deep breath and work together" says Bernie Linnane

Labour Party representative, Bernie Linnane, who has been selected to run for the local election in the Manorhamilton Municipal District, spoke to Leitrim Observer this morning regarding an incident during which three young children were among five people injured in a knife attack in Dublin on Thursday that sparked riots in the city centre.  
Bernie, who lives locally in Dromahair, with her family, has been involved in local politics and various campaigns for many years. "I think all of us were horrified by that attack but we were also horrified by the thuggish response to it. My own daughter is in Dublin in college and they were on lockdown and terrified. She is coming home this morning because Dublin doesn't feel safe to her right now and I can understand that."She has friends of colour who don't feel safe; people were targeted on the streets in Dublin last night because of the colour of their skin. It shows where anti-emigrant far right sentiment can lead us if we're not very careful. 
"We have to come together in a spirit of solidarity and respect and accept each other's differences for society to function properly."
She remarked that the "person of interest" who is thought to have been behind the attack in Dublin is "living here for well over twenty years and is an Irish citizen so to weaponise that against people who are seeking protection in this country is pretty appalling; the refugee centre in Dublin was set alight which is shameful and I did worry for our own village about what might happen thankfully we seem to have cooler heads here which is good.
"It does feed into the overall discussion that we have to accept and respect each other's differences and be kind to each other. There is another conversation to be had around education and poverty because certain parts of our cities, Dublin in particular, have slid into poverty and that's quite shameful in a country that is awash with money."She continued that she believes the government needs to look "very carefully" at how it addresses these issues. 
"Education, I do believe is the key to just about everything but hungry children can't learn and it's not just children who need education; I think our societies need education on how we accept each other's differences and value our diversity."
 
Abbey Manor Hotel
Regarding a large protest outside the Abbey Manor Hotel on Tuesday night, Ms Linnane said "an awful lot of people in Dromahair are happy to welcome newcomers to our village and we know it's a perfect situation; in a perfect world we wouldn't need the services and supports we are going to need when international protection applicants come to our village because there wouldn't be refugees in a perfect world but our world is far from perfect and until we make it better, we have to do the best we can with what we have. 
"We are very very fortunate in Dromahair and have a wonderful village and live in a peaceful country; there's no one dropping bombs on us and we are free from persecution. I think the least we can do is help people who don't have that kind of privilege."
She said she believes that while the Abbey Manor Hotel is not an ideal location as a long-term solution to the situation, it is all that is available presently. 
"The government has to provide the long-term solution and have to get their act together and sort out our housing situation but, temporarily, it's the best we can do with what we have and it's certainly better than the situation that these people are fleeing. We need a bit of generosity of spirit - if we pull together as a village we can make this work. "

Ms Linnane said that with regard to concerns that 31 single males are among the refugees coming to Dromahair, "I married a single male and a lot of us did. We have single males in our homes; we have sons. In Carrick-on-Shannon there are single males coming down in packs and mobs every weekend and I've not heard of anyone wanting to close Carrick and deport them because, really, we have to stop this demonisation of single males. They are part of people's families. 
"We have to stop seeing people as threats and have to look after people and our community can do that and benefit from that. I can't see how helping people who have so much less than us and are in such precarious situations can make us anything but richer."
She continued, "I do understand that people are concerned and that people are frightened and sometimes people frighten each other and there may be an element of that involved. Rumours that have flown around Dromahair in the last few months have grown arms and legs and that's not helpful. 
"Of course there's an information vacuum because the government has handled the whole situation appallingly and in an information vacuum, stories arise to fill that gap and people get themselves all worked up over things that may never happen. I firmly believe that whatever happens, we as a village can handle it and come out stronger and better as a result."
She concluded that she believes new people are the "lifeblood of any economy; this country needs more people and this village needs more people to grow and thrive and I think it could be the best thing that ever happened to us if we approach it with a bit of good will. 
"People should just maybe take a deep breath and calm down a little and work together.
"We are human beings who want the same thing; a roof over our heads, a warm bed and enough to eat," concluded Bernie.