Next month the Republic of Ireland will set its budget, it is believed to be a giveaway to the middle classes ahead of an election in November.
The coalition government will hope that it will keep them in power for another term . If polls are to be believed it suggests that the current PM and leader of Fine Gael, Simon Harris will be victorious.
He is currently at 27 per cent in the polls while support for other parties such as Fianna Fáil and Sinn Fein have seen a substantial drop to around 20 per cent.
Sinn Fein in particular has fallen from 36% which it recorded in the summer of 2022.All elections are won and lost on core issues and voters expect their government to listen to their concerns. Aside from the obvious issues such as tax, health and the cost of living.
The issue that is causing most consternation and being avoided by most politicians is the thorny issue of immigration. Ireland’s population is growing at a rate that is now putting real pressure on its infrastructure, and many are asking questions of the political elite that they just do not want to answer. Crime is on the rise and over 60,000 Irish are on housing lists.
Many young people are having to live with their parents because of the lack of affordable housing Ireland is a victim of its own success.
Its welfare system is generous and its standard of living is very close to that of the UK.
Many migrants have moved from the UK after failing to achieve British citizenship and have been housed in socially deprived areas of Ireland. In some cases former warehouses and factory sites have been converted to migrant camps , and the amount of young undocumented males is causing social unrest.
The MSM have decided to centre its narrative on these areas, making documentaries based around local communities objections.
Communities with real fears and concerns about uncontrolled immigration are being portrayed as racist and ignorant, but in reality there is a lack of reporting on the social issues that are plaguing these communities.
They are easy targets for those that want to push the right wing narrative and keep those in the middle classes from joining any protest that may expose the truth.
In April, the Garda used pepper spray and public order measures against the concerned residents of Newtown Mount Kennedy – a predominantly residential and beautiful area.
Locals were protesting against the conversion of a convent into a hostel for young undocumented males that where camping on the banks of Dublin’s canal.
The site was at least a mile from the village but was located close to a sports complex where young women regularly trained, and much of the wealth of Ireland live. Newtown was a total own goal for the Irish government and during this spring’s EU election campaign Simon Harris was forced to suggest a Rwanda style project was on the table.
In September a peaceful protest in Dublin off around two and half thousand middle class protesters marched to the parliament expecting to hear from their political representatives but were met with silence and 20 arrests.
These are only a few of many such protests across Ireland and mirror the frustration felt across the UK and throughout Europe. If Ireland returns a coalition government both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil may need a third party.
The question remains will it be from Sinn Féin, whose core vote comes from working class areas or an independent who have no central cohesion but may be a larger problem when in opposition.
It is thought that an election may be called for November 15th but whatever the outcome many communities across Ireland are demanding an explanation on the immigration question.