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There has been widespread anger today after Tánaiste Leo Varadkar advised Irish living abroad not to book flights home for Christmas, despite the fact that Christmas is six weeks away.
Peaking in the Dáil today, the Tánaiste said: “We are not in a position to warn people that it is safe to go home at Christmas”, referring to a foot-and-mouth disease in the UK in 1967 when the Irish do not come home to avoid the spread.
Paul Lynam in Wexford told Joe Duffy on RTÉ Radio: “I can’t believe the lack of humanity. We have already booked our flights because prices are going up exponentially.
“My son is in Falmouth and he also has autism. He would be alone in Cornwall. [if he couldn’t come home, and my daughter is in student accommodation in a room that is 15 foot long and eight foot wide and that’s where she would be spending her Christmas. Everybody else would be gone home, and she would be on her own,” Paul said.
Linda Walsh from Tramore said she was “absolutely disgusted” with the comments.
“I feel, as a parent of two young teachers living abroad that nobody is thinking of the distress it is causing these people. [Seeing the children] it’s the only thing that keeps us going. “
John McNamara spoke from Saudi Arabia about how he had not been home to see his children or elderly parents for 10 months and was very angry at the Tánaiste’s comments.
“I am happy that I undergo any PCR test before and after traveling, but don’t tell me that I can’t go home to visit my parents. Irish expats are so lonely, we miss our families.
“I think Leo Varadkar is floating a kite to distract himself from something else in politics at home, but he should think before putting a foot in his mouth and causing so much pain and damage to people living abroad. Irish who were forced to travel abroad for financial reasons, we would love to work at home. “
Darren Ennis from Leixlip lives in Brussels and spoke about how the expat community was being forgotten.
“For many of us, who have sick family members or whatever at home, it is essential that we go home. We are not going to a beach in Greece, my daughter wants to see her grandmother at Christmas. We are asking that expats who have a very good reason to leave for Christmas be prioritized, ”he said.
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