The Integration Centre is a non-governmental organisation which is committed to the integration and inclusion of people from immigrant backgrounds in Ireland.

TIC Response to Cllr Treanors Comments this week.

Monaghan Councillor Seamus Treanor has publicly come out with the statement that foreign nationals will collapse the social welfare system.

Mr Treanor claimed that ‘40% of the welfare budget goes to foreign people’.

Killian Forde, CEO of The Integration Centre responded “January 2012 statistics show that 17.78% of those on the Live Register are immigrants.”

“Cllr Treanors comments are completely fictitious and simply point to his personal anti-immigrant feelings.” 

“Since the recession started 40% of non-Irish nationals lost their jobs, however their share on the live register only increased by 3% in this time”.

“The Habitual Residence Condition, which is strictly adhered to by Social Welfare offices throughout the state, means that no payment is made without the applicant proving a connection to the state and an employment history. You cannot just walk into the social welfare office and claim a payment. Everyone who receives one is thoroughly entitled to it having contributed to the state previously through taxes and social insurance.”

“It is in fact our experience that many Eastern Europeans have lost out on a payment they would have been entitled to due to the fact they were exploited by employers who were pocketing taxes instead of paying them legitimately.”

Mr Treanor also claimed whilst on the Right Hook that he could “walk down the road here in Monaghan and 80% of the people I meet are people from eastern Europeans, or are eastern Europeans”.

The 2006 census statistics show that the total percentage of non-Irish nationals from all over the world, not just Eastern European is 9.3% in Monaghan.

Mr Forde Continued “More and more public representatives are beginning to speak out against immigrants. We believe this is in no small part due to the fact that Darren Scully has not yet been expelled from Fine Gael. An example needs to be made, if Ireland is not to go down the route of an accepted rhetoric of racism.”

“Cllr Treanor claims that 8 billion is spent on social welfare payments to non Irish per year. In fact in 2010 5.8 billion was paid out in total for everyone on jobseeker payments. Yet again Cllr Treanor's claims are wrong.”

“This scapegoating behaviour from Cllr Treanor is vile and nasty. He claims he is a Republican, but he sounds like Tory from the Shires.”

“Immigrants in Ireland are highly educated – with 45% having a third level qualification in comparison to 32% of Irish people. They are a major resource and can help Ireland out of the economic recession. Blaming immigrants for the recession as Cllr Treanor has done, shows a mammoth incomprehension of Ireland’s economic situation, and ignores the contribution they have made to the Irish economy. The Cllr should strive to become more educated on the situation before speaking out again.”