Weather: Hi 4°C / Lo 2°C
Irish mayor who met Muhammad Ali warns of 'black ghetto warning'
Thursday, 10 September 2009
More pictures
Print
Email
The mayor of Ennis, who led the Co Clare town's welcome to boxing legend Muhammad Ali last week, has warned against housing policies that could lead to "a glut" of black families in any one area.
Frankie Neylon said he believed it was better for the council not to house too many black families in any particular area to avoid the creation of "ghettos" and to facilitate the integration of black and white families.
"You wouldn't like to see too many black families in one area and neither would they," the Independent councillor said. He pointed out that six houses allocated by Ennis Town Council recently in one estate in the Cloughleigh area all went to black families.
"Six families in one small area is enough," he said. "I would be concerned if the council keeps giving houses to black families in any particular area, there would be a glut of black families in one area." "If you have too many black people in one area, it is difficult for them to integrate into the community."
Cllr Neylon said that proper planning by the council would avoid the prospect of ghettos in Ennis. "The allocation of housing to black families should be a little more spread out to give a better blend of people."
Cllr Neylon admitted that raising the issue left him open to being branded a racist.
But he said: "There is no question whatsoever of me being racist. I would not like to discriminate against anyone and if black families qualify for housing before a white family, I would have no problem with that." But he pointed out that there were 26 different nationalities living in Ennis and said: "We can't forget our own and keep housing people that have come into Ennis over the past number of years.
"There must be transparency into how housing is allocated. We have no role whatsoever. At the moment, we are blindfolded on the issue," he said.
Post a comment
Limit: 500 characters
View all comments that have been posted about this article
Offensive or abusive comments will be removed and your IP address logged and may be used to prevent further submissions. In submitting a comment to the site, you agree to be bound by BelfastTelegraph.co.uk's Terms of Use.
Posts submitted in UPPERCASE letters will be rejected.
The government who allowed in immigrants who then require public funded housing and welfare should be kicked to the kirb. This is further evidence of the need to reject the EU, who will impose more of this immigration that will create a further drain on the Irish economy.
To see why this is a bad idea simply visit Brixton or the outer suburbs of Paris.
Posted by Brian | 14.09.09, 07:02 GMT
If anyones identity needs changing over here its the locals 'Realist' (sic). perhaps adding culture to a culturally empty place might actually do everyone a world of good?
Even if other people were made to feel welcome you would still get peoples and cultures bunching together. Thats is normal. look at all the ex-pats in Spain. tehy dont integrate much and speak the language.....
Posted by soarer | 10.09.09, 16:39 GMT
The man shouldn't have felt the need to apologise for his comment.
Ireland doesn't need to repeat the mistakes of its
neighbours in respect of 3rd world immigration but sadly, inevitably will - with the encouragement of the BT naturally.
Posted by russell | 10.09.09, 14:01 GMT
By the same token, Shane, all Irish immigrants to the US, Canada, Australia, England, Spain, France, etc. should all be sent home as soon as possible.
I wonder if when there are more than 6 white families living in one area will it be considered in danger of becoming a "ghetto" too?
Posted by jd | 10.09.09, 13:27 GMT
Immigrants? Gulags? Repatration grants?
I doubt very much whether any family (black or otherwise) who has established their refugee status or who are in the process of proving that they have a well-founded fear of persecution, would care what you dramatists think. They are in the process of surviving and if that means enduring the tinge of a few facists in Irish society, so be it. I don't see any 'illegal settlements' being built.
Most Irish people have ancestors who were/are grateful for asylum-providing communities the world over. Whether they commune or disperse - their 'integration' is a process determined by the environment they find themselves in.
Posted by JohnRaff | 10.09.09, 13:07 GMT
When you say Black and White families you mean Irish and African Immigrant families. Why are Africans being brought in to the Country in the first place to be given houses before the Irish who need the houses in the first place?
Posted by jenny | 10.09.09, 11:58 GMT
There should not be any non-essential non-EU immigration permitted in a recession. Instead the Irish government should be offering repatriation grants for existing immigrants, like the Japenese and the extreme-socialist government in Spain.
Posted by shane o'neill | 10.09.09, 10:53 GMT
Simon is correct. Forced multiculturalism simply cannot and does not work. The time is upon us to re-examine this leftist, liberal doctrine. If we don't then our individual identities are at risk.
Posted by Realist | 10.09.09, 10:50 GMT
Simon is correct. Forced multiculturalism simply cannot and does not work. The time is upon us to re-examine this leftist, liberal doctrine. If we don't then our individual identities are at risk.
Posted by Realist | 10.09.09, 10:50 GMT
Birds of a feather, look at all over the world people will generaly start conjugating together with their own in towns and cities as nature intended and its a proven fact, you cannot force multicultural intergration. If government force change you end up with gulags and concentration camps again.
Posted by Simon Wienstien | 10.09.09, 08:48 GMT