Nothing could have been further from the truth as the Ukrainian army have put up a sturdy fight not- withstanding the Russian Army and Ukrainian forces were once part of the formidable Soviet Red Army receiving the same training and kit. That is all history now and the giant Russian machine which invaded on 24-February-2022 expecting Ukrainian forces to go belly up and surrender has not happened. Ukraine have earned many merits over the Russians who frankly have three times the manpower and kit but appear to have no idea how to use these advantages. Despite all these advantages these Russian forces appear to be making a mess of things, similar to the USA in Vietnam where they had to retreat pretty fast form Saigon.
Could Ukraine become Russia’s Vietnam? Quite possibly as Putin toys with the idea of interim nuclear weapons but somehow, I don’t think he would be so stupid. Donald Trump on the other hand whose technology and military hardware have failed to bring the feudal religious nutter led Iran to heel is capable of doing just that! Trump appears to be suffering from serious ‘arrested mental development’, thinking bombing weaker countries a laugh as would a ten-year old child playing with toy soldiers.
When the crisis first started the Twenty-Six-County Dail, all parties, were bending over backwards to show the world how anti-Putin they were. The Twenty-Six-County government led by taoiseach Micheal Martin were proving to the world how much they hate Putin and his ‘imperialist venture’ into his neighbour. Martin declared Ireland's outrage, calling it an “immoral and totally beyond comprehension.” Ukraine has always been considered by Russia, rightly or wrongly, to be part of their sphere of influence in much the same way the USA considers the Americas, from Brazil, to Argentina, to Venezuela up to Mexico and now Canada under the Monroe doctrine to be within the US sphere of influence. So eager were the Dail administration to prove to the rest of the EU, and the UK, how anti-Putin they are they decided to open up the flood gates for refugees. There was no harm in that, no harm whatsoever, but if we are going to invite people over for tea, we must make sure the larder is full. Housing these well deserving people was a problem and should not have been one. Ireland is not overpopulated, as those neo-fascist half-wits on the far right would have us believe along with some former left-wing organisations and individuals. Malachy Steenson, for example, started out on the far-left with Sinn Fein/the Workers Party and was eventually fucked out of there. Then he tried to find a niche within the Provisional movement and was shown the door, I understand. So the intrepid political traveller finds a home with those whose ideologies he once vehemently opposed on the far-right. Gone are his hammer and sickle badges often worn in his hat. Very fickle these would-be politicians - the German Nazi Party was full of them former would-be communists turned Nazi when opportunity knocked.
Those on the far-right keep telling us ‘Ireland is full’ which is not the case. Countries like Belgium have a smaller land mass than we do yet a far higher population and far more refugees. Very few problems are present because all aspects of society were discussed and planned out. Holland has a land mass the size of Leinster with a population round 19million many are refugees and again few major problems, though the local far-right are trying to create some and, alas, a few people are starting to listen when will they learn? The Twenty-Six County administration should have started building pre-fabricated homes for Ukrainian refugees whose aims are to return to their country once it is safe to do so. Instead we appear now to be telling these ‘International Protection Seeker’s’ to get out, we no longer want or need you is the perceived message! After making the Ukrainians welcome we appear now to be turning our backs on them,’Cead mile failte’ appears non-applicable to refugees any more as gangs led by far- right and former left-allies appear to want these people out with attacks on International Protection Seekers accommodation centres.
The far-right arguments are now being fuelled by government who no longer see the political millage in taking the pro-refugee line. With the US President - and much to the disappointment of the Taoiseach - being good mates, it appears with Putin, a Vladimir and Donald level of friendship, time for a change of political direction perhaps? For these reasons Martin and Harris obviously feel they are not getting the same publicity as they did when everybody was anti-Putin. The Ukrainian Refugees who had been guaranteed a roof over their head as long as it was needed are being told they must leave state paid accommodation. Ukrainian refugees, and they did not ask for this, were placed on full state benefits when they arrived only to have such benefits over time removed. Refugees arrived in Ireland to a gold-plated land, not of their asking, insisted by the government. Now they are being told by Simon Harris, Tanaiste, “Ukrainians living in rent-free State accommodation is not fair”.
When the crisis first started the Twenty-Six-County Dail, all parties, were bending over backwards to show the world how anti-Putin they were. The Twenty-Six-County government led by taoiseach Micheal Martin were proving to the world how much they hate Putin and his ‘imperialist venture’ into his neighbour. Martin declared Ireland's outrage, calling it an “immoral and totally beyond comprehension.” Ukraine has always been considered by Russia, rightly or wrongly, to be part of their sphere of influence in much the same way the USA considers the Americas, from Brazil, to Argentina, to Venezuela up to Mexico and now Canada under the Monroe doctrine to be within the US sphere of influence. So eager were the Dail administration to prove to the rest of the EU, and the UK, how anti-Putin they are they decided to open up the flood gates for refugees. There was no harm in that, no harm whatsoever, but if we are going to invite people over for tea, we must make sure the larder is full. Housing these well deserving people was a problem and should not have been one. Ireland is not overpopulated, as those neo-fascist half-wits on the far right would have us believe along with some former left-wing organisations and individuals. Malachy Steenson, for example, started out on the far-left with Sinn Fein/the Workers Party and was eventually fucked out of there. Then he tried to find a niche within the Provisional movement and was shown the door, I understand. So the intrepid political traveller finds a home with those whose ideologies he once vehemently opposed on the far-right. Gone are his hammer and sickle badges often worn in his hat. Very fickle these would-be politicians - the German Nazi Party was full of them former would-be communists turned Nazi when opportunity knocked.
Those on the far-right keep telling us ‘Ireland is full’ which is not the case. Countries like Belgium have a smaller land mass than we do yet a far higher population and far more refugees. Very few problems are present because all aspects of society were discussed and planned out. Holland has a land mass the size of Leinster with a population round 19million many are refugees and again few major problems, though the local far-right are trying to create some and, alas, a few people are starting to listen when will they learn? The Twenty-Six County administration should have started building pre-fabricated homes for Ukrainian refugees whose aims are to return to their country once it is safe to do so. Instead we appear now to be telling these ‘International Protection Seeker’s’ to get out, we no longer want or need you is the perceived message! After making the Ukrainians welcome we appear now to be turning our backs on them,’Cead mile failte’ appears non-applicable to refugees any more as gangs led by far- right and former left-allies appear to want these people out with attacks on International Protection Seekers accommodation centres.
The far-right arguments are now being fuelled by government who no longer see the political millage in taking the pro-refugee line. With the US President - and much to the disappointment of the Taoiseach - being good mates, it appears with Putin, a Vladimir and Donald level of friendship, time for a change of political direction perhaps? For these reasons Martin and Harris obviously feel they are not getting the same publicity as they did when everybody was anti-Putin. The Ukrainian Refugees who had been guaranteed a roof over their head as long as it was needed are being told they must leave state paid accommodation. Ukrainian refugees, and they did not ask for this, were placed on full state benefits when they arrived only to have such benefits over time removed. Refugees arrived in Ireland to a gold-plated land, not of their asking, insisted by the government. Now they are being told by Simon Harris, Tanaiste, “Ukrainians living in rent-free State accommodation is not fair”.
These refugees could have been given a home. A plan could and should have been in place a plan to build pre-fabs housing which served well in Britain after World War II to ease the housing crisis there. Easy to build with full amenities and opportunities for employment, they should have been part and parcel of the plan. Pre-fabs would have been ideal for a people who wish, once it’s safe, to go home again. The problem with this solution is there is no ‘make Micheal look good’ factor involved. What the Twenty-Six-County government are doing to these Ukrainians, in a strange land with the once guaranteed safety nets removed, is bordering on inhuman.
Why did they promise these people the world in the first place? Simple, there was loads of looking good factor, the administration could benefit from yard after yard of political millage. That feeling appears now to be wavering and Ukrainian refugees, once an asset, are now a liability and the government are increasingly leaning on far-right nonsense about overcrowding. For the record the state has had a housing problem since the passing of the Anglo/Irish treaty in 1922. There were no refugees or migrants to blame then, just inept government policies, as is the case today, as tenement buildings housing numerous families collapsed under the human weight of habitation in Church Street.
Maybe Micheal Martin and his cohorts should have put a figure on the number of refugees we could accommodate competently, and I do mean all refugees not only Ukrainians. Perhaps a figure may have been 100,000 whom we could house in pre-fabs, feed, end employ. Not rocket science really but apparently for Micheal and (simple) Simon a little beyond their mental capabilities! “The move comes after the Government cut the length of time newly arriving refugees can stay in state accommodation from 90 days to 30. The Finance Minister said he was proud of the response to the Ukrainian war but added that there was a need to learn from every crisis” (Irish Daily Mirror 30th 4th 2026). The truth an eternal cynic might think is there is no crisis, only one of Harris and Martin's own making. If this had been given priority, and accommodation awaited these refugees along with amenities and employment it would have been a smooth transition.
Maybe Micheal Martin and his cohorts should have put a figure on the number of refugees we could accommodate competently, and I do mean all refugees not only Ukrainians. Perhaps a figure may have been 100,000 whom we could house in pre-fabs, feed, end employ. Not rocket science really but apparently for Micheal and (simple) Simon a little beyond their mental capabilities! “The move comes after the Government cut the length of time newly arriving refugees can stay in state accommodation from 90 days to 30. The Finance Minister said he was proud of the response to the Ukrainian war but added that there was a need to learn from every crisis” (Irish Daily Mirror 30th 4th 2026). The truth an eternal cynic might think is there is no crisis, only one of Harris and Martin's own making. If this had been given priority, and accommodation awaited these refugees along with amenities and employment it would have been a smooth transition.
The problem with smooth transitions is not a lot of political milage can be gained. It would not have been possible to ingratiate themselves with other bigger world leaders, the ultimate prize being Trump but alas for poor Micheal and Simon the Mad President was more inclined towards Putin than first may have been thought, a bit of a bastard really eh lads! Still plenty of milage with the Germans, the British, the French all taking an anti-Putin position.
Now with events in the Middle East putting Ukraine into the shadow as the real bourgeois interests - the price of oil - take world stage the plaudits received for being nice to Ukrainians are no longer forthcoming. Therefore they are no longer any real use so fuck them out on the streets which will cause another right-wing backlash. They really have no idea how to administer a long-term humanitarian programme.
Firstly, how many people can be reasonably looked after? This does not include supplying tents to live in, they may have done that in bomb torn Ukraine. Why not then integrate to a certain extent with the indigenous homeless as pre-fabricated housing for all would be built before peoples very eyes? The far-right argument would be non-existent because the use of hotels and unsuitable buildings would not be necessary. It is possible the government wanted a far-right bogey man to frighten the left off with so they created the conditions for one to come out of the ground? Well, that’s not working either as I understand a far-right meeting was kicked off the street last month including leading Nazis in uniforms of types, including one of Dublin’s so-called leading Nazis who once boasted his admiration of Hitler being a great “leader”!
These Ukrainian refugees escaping Russian bombs have been used in an unashamed fashion by the Irish bourgeoisie and their government lackeys. From “Cead Mile Failte” one of Irelands famous sayings meaning “one hundred thousand welcomes” the twenty-six-county state, as far as Ukrainian and other refugees are concerned, has turned into ‘the worst nightmare’ - homeless in a strange country with the safety nets once provided withdrawn. Perhaps facing Putin’s bombs might have been a better bet!
These Ukrainian refugees escaping Russian bombs have been used in an unashamed fashion by the Irish bourgeoisie and their government lackeys. From “Cead Mile Failte” one of Irelands famous sayings meaning “one hundred thousand welcomes” the twenty-six-county state, as far as Ukrainian and other refugees are concerned, has turned into ‘the worst nightmare’ - homeless in a strange country with the safety nets once provided withdrawn. Perhaps facing Putin’s bombs might have been a better bet!
The government have through some of their media, who have shifted policy accordingly, not too well camouflaged anti-refugee statements have managed to unleash the lumpenproletariat of Ireland which appears a larger group than I would have imagined. Thankfully anti-fascists are hitting back and not before time. Perhaps the message here is; don’t go to Ireland if you are a refugee from any land, Ukraine, Somalia, Yemen, Palestine because you will be used, abused, and discarded when your use value has expired !!!
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| Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist. |
