President Michael D Higgins has said that Irish emigrants have sent money home "in every phase of Irish history".
President Higgins was speaking during a visit to Kinsale Community School in Co Cork today.
He said there is a tradition among Irish emigrants of sending money home, including within his own family.
The President recalled his sisters emigrating to England, working for 30 shillings a week and sending money home to their family who were having a hard time at home in Co Clare.
He said: "Irish people have been going away and Irish people have been sending back remittances to their families at home, and enabling others to follow, in every phase of Irish history."
"I gave those facts about my family to show how important it is that we look a our history.
"Everybody who comes here, irrespective of their ethnic origin, irrespective of whatever, is welcome.
President Higgins told students: "We say every now and then we trot it out, 'Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine', in the shadow of each other we live. Well, if we are, let's practice it.
"By immediately countering any suggestions that contradict that basic value at the heart of a migrant people, the Irish people, we'll put a stop to it."
In Co. Cork today, President Higgins is visiting #Kinsale Community School.https://t.co/0gpVj58bu3 pic.twitter.com/wnA3w9U2UB
— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) November 14, 2019
President Higgins addressed the students on a range of issues, from history to economics, poverty and the environment.
He told them to have "courage" in what they are doing.
He said: "There's something wonderful about the right to be happy, the right to learn, and the right to be different.
"It must be wonderful to be alive with all the opportunities and skills that you have and the fantastic opportunities for change
"And all that you can achieve, not for yourselves only, but for everyone else and all the joy that you will have in relation to that.
"And all of the life benefit that we will get from diversity and tolerance.
The President's comments follow remarks made by Galway TD Noel Grealish earlier this week which were labelled as racist.
The Independent TD Noel Grealish asked Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in the Dáil whether money being sent out of the State to foreign countries is being monitored.
He questioned whether money sent abroad in personal remittances "has been fully accounted for" and claimed that €10bn has left Ireland over the last years.
He has come under fire from people across the political spectrum since he posed the queries, in particular Solidarity-PBP TD Ruth Coppinger who said the comments exhibited "disgraceful racism".
