Although we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here, this time of year does remind me that there are many things for us all to be thankful for. A happy healthy family, a home, peace of mind, employment... Yes, there are any number of problems with general practice and the health service in Ireland and I freely admit to being well able to criticise the system and rant about its failings at the drop of a hat, but in the bigger picture there are lots of things to be grateful for. 

In part, my gratitude may be due to a recent and much enjoyed break from it all. A good dose of sunshine with plenty of relaxation with the family does anyone the world of good. The break wasn’t without its small challenges of course.  In fact, it had been booked for last year, or so I thought. It was the day before we were due to travel in October 2018 and on making an inquiry about our accommodation I received a call to tell me that our lovely holiday was actually booked for 2019, not 2018 – I had mistakenly clicked on the incorrect year when I booked it! 

Flights had been arranged, bags packed, spirits were high and although the world would not have ended, there would have been some very disappointed children if it was announced that the holiday was off. Frantically, hubby and I got busy and alternative accommodation was finally sourced at the last minute. On trying to then cancel the booking for the following year, we were informed that we could but there would not be a single cent refunded. It was either go ahead with it in 2019 or forfeit the entire cost. Needless to say we decided to keep the booking and so we recently had a lovely break away from the cold and rain here and a switch off from work which is always reviving. 

Community thrust into spotlight

While we were away, our community was thrust into the spotlight with a most unfortunate turn of events here. A local hotel was chosen as a direct provision centre and almost overnight the community has developed two distinct groups of different opinions, with many others steering well clear of the entire issue. 

As with most things in life however, few things are black and white, and most are in shades of grey. In our peaceful society in Ireland I think we really have no concept of how awful it must be to be forced to flee from home in fear of your lives, leaving everything behind in the hope of finding peace elsewhere. We cannot imagine our homes and communities being destroyed by war and living in constant fear of death or injury every time we step outside the door. Images on social media never convey the actual feeling. 

Those seeking refuge here do so as a last resort in most cases. There are economic migrants too, but again, feeling that in order to achieve any decent standard of living that you have to leave your native shores and often your family and friends must be very difficult. 

Compassion and dignity

Those seeking refuge here need to be treated with compassion and dignity and I’m not convinced that we are doing that adequately. It is not enough to just package these people into random areas, especially remote rural ones, isolated from all services and amenities. 

Rural Ireland has no public transport. How can these people ever progress to becoming properly integrated into our society? How can they access schools, shops, healthcare, and the officialdom that will enable them to make a real life in this country? In a similar way, so many of our own homeless are being accommodated in hotels that are completely unsuited to the needs of a family. 

There are countless empty houses all over our cities and towns and in the rural areas too for those who might have transport. Would it not make more sense for the millions that are being spent on hotels, both for the Irish homeless and foreign nationals seeking refuge, to be spent on actual homes where a family could settle and make a genuine effort at a new start? Simplistic perhaps, but surely it could be done. Money spent on hotel-style accommodation benefits very few, and certainly not the occupant.

Much comparison is being made at the moment between the Irish going abroad in years gone by and foreign nationals seeking refuge here. This is not a good comparison, however. Although times were economically tough when many of the Irish emigrated, they usually went to relatives or friends, at least to start, and always ended up making their own way. They sought employment, anything to keep them going, and did not arrive with expectations or hopes of another country putting a roof over their heads or keeping them. Nothing about this issue is black or white, it is all very much in shades of grey, but hopefully progress will be made.

And so, as the year draws to a close I am most thankful for the important things – a happy healthy family, a secure home and a job I enjoy, even with its challenges! I wish all readers peace of mind at this time of year.