Speaking to Ben Scallon from Gript.ie, Councillor Malachy Steenson issued a direct call for a halt to mass immigration into Ireland

“I Want to Live in a Nation”: Cllr Malachy Steenson

Date: May 21, 2025 | By Aaron Joyce L.T.T Media Newswire

DUBLIN — Speaking to Ben Scallon from Gript.ie, Councillor Malachy Steenson issued a direct call for a halt to mass immigration into Ireland, citing mounting crises in housing, healthcare, and public infrastructure as reasons for urgent national prioritisation.

The Organiser of a recent rally, which drew thousands of demonstrators to the streets of Dublin, was organised in opposition to current government immigration policies. Steenson said bluntly: “I want to live in a nation.” The Independent councillor called for a complete pause on inward migration until Ireland resolves the escalating issues that, he argues, are already overwhelming communities.

“We cannot continue to import more and more people into a country that can’t house its own, can’t treat its sick, and can’t give its young people a future,” Steenson declared to loud applause.

Public Services at Breaking Point

Cllr Steenson cited a litany of national challenges: a worsening housing crisis, record hospital overcrowding, rising crime in some areas, and a public perception that Irish citizens are being deprioritized in favour of asylum seekers or economic migrants.

His comments reflect a growing sentiment among a segment of the Irish population that feels unheard by mainstream politics and alienated by what they view as top-down policies from Dublin and Brussels. “This isn’t about hatred,” Steenson insisted. “It’s about fairness, it’s about sovereignty, and it’s about survival as a coherent society.”

Polarising Reactions

The rally has sparked debate across the political spectrum, with critics accusing Steenson and others of stoking fear and division. Human rights groups and NGOs defending asylum rights have called the speech “deeply troubling” and “irresponsible in tone,” warning that such rhetoric could lead to increased hostility towards migrants and refugees.

However, Steenson dismissed those claims, saying it is not “racist to want your government to look after its own people first.”

A Widening Divide

The demonstration is the latest in a series of growing grassroots mobilisations challenging the Irish government’s migration approach. With local elections approaching and public trust in state institutions at a historic low, voices like Steenson’s are resonating more than ever with voters frustrated by housing queues, long hospital waiting lists, and overstretched social services.

A Defining Debate

Ireland, long seen as a nation of emigrants and welcomes, now finds itself at the heart of an increasingly urgent conversation: What does it mean to manage migration responsibly while maintaining social cohesion? And who should come first when public systems reach their limits?

For Cllr Malachy Steenson, the answer is clear: “Ireland must take care of its own. Until it can, migration must stop.”

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