Cork leader of new political party says he would look to cap number of migrants coming in if in Government 

The leader of Ireland’s newest political party has said that if in Government, he will look to cap the number of migrants coming into the country.

Independent Ireland is the name of the new party whose leader is to be Cork South West TD Independent TD Michael Collins and he told The Echo yesterday he and others had been holding meetings across the country about establishing such a party for at least a year.

He said the party will be contesting the local, European and General Elections next year and early 2025 with candidates across Ireland.

“People have expressed to us that they want a new party,” said Mr Collins.

“What we’re doing is giving them an alternative by setting up this party. We’re long enough talking about it and I felt that it’s either you’re going to do something or you’re going to talk about it and do nothing,” he said.

The new party has been registered with the Electoral Commission, with the Cork TD named as its leader and Limerick TD, Richard O’Donoghue, as its general secretary.

It is intended to officially launch the party early in the New Year.

“I will still be an Independent TD and I will remain an Independent TD until the next election, that’s what the people of Cork South West elected me on but the party has to start somewhere and the structures are very important so we’ve put down a foundation.

“Agriculture, fishing, immigration are a cause of massive concern and people just feel that their day-to-day living, they’re working the whole week and finding nothing left in their pockets. Things have gone out of all reason.”

He said the party would intend to be either a part of government after the next election or else a “very, very strong opposition”.

On immigration, Mr Collins said that he had been a longtime opponent of undocumented immigrants coming into Ireland.

“If I’m part of any government that will stop immediately. It’s scandalous that people will come in here undocumented and nobody knows anything about them, most countries are not allowing that but Ireland has left anybody and everybody slip in here.

“We also have to cap the numbers of people coming in here. We can’t have people sleeping in tents.”

The group will only become Ireland’s 27th political party after a 21-day appeal period lapses or after the outcome of any appeals.

The formal notification for the party was published yesterday in the official Irish State gazette, Iris Oifigiúil, the Electoral Commission said.