Last year, the key themes from the Irish Times Snapshot polling showed that immigration, for months, dominated the national conversation, frequently emerging as the most important issue among voters. Despite an arguably lack lustre attempt from Fine Gael to appease voter’s concerns over the issue – with a rhetorical change in how the party discusses the subject, increases in fines for airlines that transport migrants that destroy their own travel documents and a slight increase in deportations – the lesson we need to learn from Europe is that half-hearted measures will not abate voters’ concerns over the issue.
The first…