Two candidates in the Dublin Central byelection have strongly criticised comments on immigration by Independent candidate and gangland figure Gerry Hutch, with one rival describing them as “absolutely racist”.
In a social media post over the weekend Hutch, who came close to claiming the fourth and final seat in the constituency in the 2024 general election said “illegal immigrants” who were “mooching” their way into the country should be interned in the Curragh.
Hutch, who was being interviewed by Dublin city councillor Gavin Pepper in the Corinthians Boxing Club in the city centre, said immigrants were coming into the country from Britain and France “because it’s a freebie and they’re getting paid”.
“I think they should be all interned, they should be put in the Curragh camp until they’re sorted, and fed, not given any money, not given any houses.”
Hutch appeared to draw a distinction between different nationalities as well as migrants in the workforce, mentioning Indians when he said genuine people were “more than welcome” and to “bring your toolbox” as migrant workers were needed because Irish people had “gone too posh” to do certain types of jobs.
“We don’t want our kids working in McDonald’s, we need foreign workers for them type of jobs, whether we like it or not, we’re gone too posh.”
Mentioning “the ones that are Somalians and them type of people”, he said “the illegal ones, feed them, put them on the boat and send them back.”
Asked about the comments at his campaign launch in Dublin on Tuesday, People Before Profit candidate Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin said the comments were “absolutely racist”.
“Gerry Hutch is trying to basically pander to a sentiment that is around but that I don’t think is the overwhelming sentiment of people in the inner city.”
“This is basically a way of dividing people and it’s something that we should be absolutely opposed to.”
Ó Ceannabháin said the Government was to blame for creating the homelessness crisis and resulting in hundreds of asylum seekers sleeping rough.
“This rhetoric from Hutch, but also from others, opens up this space for people to be attacked and I think we need to absolutely oppose it and actually try to unite people on the basis of a fight on housing and a fight on cost of living.”
The Labour Party’s candidate Ruth O’Dea said she was “horrified” by Hutch’s comments which she described as “despicable”.
She also said: “I reject that absolutely [the idea of internment] and I’m absolutely disgusted by that comment.”
O’Dea continued: “We do not have detention without trial, and those days are long gone, and thank God, so for him to say that is just outrageous.”
At the People Before Profit campaign launch, Dublin Mid West TD Paul Murphy said the party was consulting with its legal team over RTÉ’s decision to exclude Ó Ceannabháin from broadcast debates.
He reiterated calls for a “vote left, transfer left” approach in Dublin Central and Galway West, but said PBP had been unsuccessful in persuading other parties who had supported the Catherine Connolly campaign for president last year to sign up to a formal vote transfer pact.
O’Dea was speaking as the Labour Party launched proposals for a €3 million pilot programme for a “Safe Fund” aimed at helping women trying to exit a violent relationship.
With other left-wing parties running sitting councillors in the byelection it was put to O’Dea that she has a mountain to climb to win a Dáil seat in this month’s vote.
She said this was the case for every candidate, that it is a “crowded field” and is “competitive” and “nobody owns that seat”. O’Dea suggested her chances were as good as “anybody else”.