Buzz, the UK is a net financial contributor to the EU, not the other way round. These EU projects are therefore from British money anyway.

Posted by Paul | 05.02.09, 22:07 GMT

KPM for a start dole forms are not that complicated, and as for not that easy to apply for load of rubbish!!!! if you were to frequent the place you will actually see the several different languages on signs to state that if it is required in a different language you can apply for it to be. So yes it is easy for them to get the dole. (Yes i am a dole sponger as called but i gave up work to look after my ill mother i SAVE the tax payer money....and have to support myself and my children on very little with no part time jobs to suit my conditions)

I somewhat agree with Mr Wilson although he needs to give praise to those non-nationals who do meaningless work for less pay than what Northern ireland workers would request for it.

Is he being racist??? Thats like saying Poland is being racist with their no irish workers signs surely they are part of the EU so why is it that Mr Wilson is getting slated by the Eu and not them. Think of the english power plant workers need i say more...

Posted by heather | 31.01.09, 14:41 GMT

Little Ulster Nationalism all over again.

What next Ulster jobs for Ulster people? Is Sammy aware of the EU? Do our people working elsewhere in the EU resign and come home? Does this not work both ways?

Why are the jobs available to migrants Sammy? Do indigenous unemployed people not apply? Is there a skills deficit? If so, what do we do until it is addressed?

This is a pathetic view expressed to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Iris on same sex relationships and now Sammy on foreigners. How about this for a suggestion Sammy, you have five jobs, how about giving a few of them up for the unemployed?

Posted by Rodney McCune | 28.01.09, 12:34 GMT

AI, very well put and your point about England is very true, having lived there for several years. Whilst not tarring all foreign workers with the same brush, I found spme of them rude, ignorant and enveloped in their own communities.

It would be awful if NI went the same way as London and other parts of England.

I would much prefer our wee country and every native Protestant/Catholic/Atheist/unionist/nationalist to be the number 1 priority here...however I do agree that some of my fellow Northern Irishmen/women need wakening from their dole-induced slumber.

Posted by mickey | 28.01.09, 11:54 GMT

Roy - No mate, I think your teaching qualities may have been in dispute, not your religion, did you ever consider that or was it always easier just to blame it on a CTC. Get your facts right before you comment.

Posted by Chris | 28.01.09, 08:51 GMT

If you democratically elect a Government, albeit not one that's entirely the full shilling granted, it is the duty of that government to act in the best interests of it's citizens. Foreign nationals are free to claim benefits, housing, and all the trimmings, those that work do so, but did they vote? Was it £4 million of N.I. taxpayers money left for Eastern Europe to pay for children who do not live here? Something like that I think.

My point, as I have limited space, is this. There comes a time when the citizens, those born of the land, need the help of their government. Considering the current economic climate, that time is now. Sammy made a valid point, one that is a topic in many homes, he just didn't know how to phrase it eloquently as it is Sammy. When the immigrant worker takes the jobs off the moral crusaders, or when it ends up like parts of England, where they cannot go into areas for fear, then we will hear a different tune being played.

Posted by 'AI' | 27.01.09, 23:39 GMT

Sorry Robert, I disagree with you. You and the 1 million others in N.I. may think they are British whilst in N.I. however that designation disappears the minute you set foot on a plane or a ferry to leave N.I. Should you go to Britain (i.e. England, Scotland or Wales) you are immediately thought of as a paddy and should you go somewhere else you are immediately thought of as Irish. It may disappoint you, however the rest of the world doesn’t give a hoot about Northern or Southern Ireland; it is simply Ireland to them.

KMP, you are totally right, the Irish have worked around the world for hundreds of years and now it is time to give a little back. N.I. has only been in existence for less than 90 years. Sammy Wilson and many of his supporters have little experience with life outside of Ireland and cannot see this. How else would you explain their small minded insular attitude?

Posted by Fred | 27.01.09, 22:32 GMT

Those who speak for the local people now will be the ones who get the voteS and not the ones who will jump on the band wagon if things get a lot worse.

Posted by charlie | 27.01.09, 21:08 GMT

As a very young worker I found myself requiring a work permit for the dubious pleasure of working in Northern ireland. I had been born in the UK, I was a British subject and my parents were born in the UK. My sin? I had not been been born in Northern Ireland. There is a history of bigotary towards 'outsiders'in Northern Ireand that is a shame and disgrace

Posted by jeni | 27.01.09, 20:34 GMT

So Sammy, seeing as you agree to local people having one job, then I take it you will agree to giving up some of your jobs and give everyone a chance.

Posted by Reginald | 27.01.09, 19:51 GMT

A job should be given to the person best qualified to do it regardless of where they were born, what nationality is on their passport, or how much tax they have paid in their lives.

Let's face it , it was yet another embarassing remark from our esteemed Minister.

As others have said, the very reason we have so many immigrant workers is because of the amount of jobs that lay unfilled for many years because the many dole scroungers in Northern Ireland didnt want to give up their benefits and actually work for a living (my own family included).

Posted by Mark | 27.01.09, 19:48 GMT

Sammy Wilson has only said what the people on the streets with local roots are thinking if there were no foregin nationals in Northern Ireland not only would there be more jobs for the people of Northern Ireland but there would also be more local people with homes as these foregin nationals are put first everytime with everything dont let anymore in to Northern Ireland..

Posted by Tony Poleglass | 27.01.09, 19:42 GMT

Maybe we should pay a bit more attention to who brought these jobs in the first place. Surely, the EU has subsidized many of the social projects that contributed to a more peaceful society. E.g. NI competiveness programme 307 million euro, EU social fund 166 million euro.

Maybe Sammy should do his homework first. Foreigners, stealing all our jobs and claiming all our benefits. Dont make me laugh!!!

Posted by Buzz | 27.01.09, 19:29 GMT

our prime minister, the wonderful gordon brown, stated at a party conference that he wanted " british jobs for british workers.

Posted by gw | 27.01.09, 18:20 GMT

Northern Irish politians make me want to cry sometimes. These are the wee strange snotty people who were bullied at school and are now trying to get their own back on society. not that i condone bullying in any way, but Sammy please just keep quiet, you obviously don't have the intelligence for public offic3, just please at least try and hide it. tell iris to keep it shut as well. for a long time no one wanted to go anywhere near Northern ireland, now that the have there are obvious benefits.

Posted by Michael | 27.01.09, 16:18 GMT

I don't think Sammy Wilson is being racist, he's taking about an issue that we need to tackle. I don't agree with him, but its better that we take on board the concerns he's highlighting rather than just labelling him a racist and bigot.

Posted by S | 27.01.09, 16:09 GMT

As an ex employee of HM Revenue and Customs I know of a scam that the immigrant workers use. They claim that they are returning home after a certain time and claim their tax back. But then they don't actually go home. So have conned quite a bit of money from the system. Fair enough not all of them do it and many of them have it hard and will do what they can to survive and send money home, but it's crime. If a Belfast native tried the same he would be crucified. So good on Mr Wilson. It's about time somebody stuck up for workers at home. Positive descrimination has seen Northern Ireland natives overlooked for work. Quite a few times now Mr Wilson has impressed me by having the fortitude to speak out for what he and many people think is right. I would rather an MP have the guts to stick up for his beliefs and constituents than some of the other clowns.

Posted by ANON | 27.01.09, 15:51 GMT

We need immigrants and their children. For immigrants to up roots and come her in the 1st place takes a certain kind of person, generally more motivated, harder working and often better educated than the average N. Irish worker. These are tough times and we need a competitive work force to get through it "with least damage". I think Sammy could have worded his opinion better but I do not think he is being racist or bigotted. Ask yourself this - is Barrack Obama racist when he wants to include the clause "buy America" in the conditions attached to the huge funds the American govt is proposing to invest in struggling business?

Posted by Seamus | 27.01.09, 15:45 GMT

Well said Peter - that's exactly right. Maybe Sammy Wilson should have put it that way when he made the remarks. I dont see how anyone could argue with that - any other country would do the same for their own.

Posted by Lou | 27.01.09, 15:18 GMT

I have never been inclined to agree with Sammy Wilson on anything since we are at opposite ends of the politcal divide. However, I applaud him for his comments. I am sick and tired of hearing how foreign nationals contribute to our economy but they are taking as much out of it as they are putting in. It is time for this charade to stop, let's take care of our own people first before taking in all of the problems from eastern Europe and elsewhere.

Posted by Maria Devlin | 27.01.09, 15:16 GMT