GARDA COMMISSIONER DREW Harris has said he believes the perpetrators of a suspected arson attack at a Galway hotel set to house asylum seekers are “most probably” local to the area.

Harris told a meeting of the Policing Authority that he has seen “no evidence” to suggest that there’s “some invisible hand” guiding attacks against accommodation for international protection applicants, such as that seen at the Ross Lake Hotel in Rosscahill last Saturday night.

The meeting also heard that An Garda Síochána is not kept informed by government departments of when asylum seekers are moving into a premises, despite the locations often becoming the focus of protests, with gardaí instead finding out the Roscahill accommodation “informally”.

Appearing before the Policing Authority this afternoon, Harris was questioned by board member Paul Mageean over whether there’s an “intelligence gap” for gardaí in relation to the activities of groups or individuals behind the attacks.

As reported by The Journal today, arson attacks on properties linked to asylum seekers have been a reoccurring feature of the past six years, with at least 10 such attacks this year alone. 

“Is there a concern that these are the result of organized efforts by groups that are taking place and if that is the case, are you concerned that there’s an intelligence gap in relation to the activities of some of these individuals or groups,” Mageean asked the commissioner.

Harris told the meeting that it’s easy to blame an “ill-defined group” for the series of arson attacks, when instead the incidents are based “on prejudice and ill-informed comments driven on a local level” in different areas.

He claimed there’s no evidence that there’s a “coordinated effort” behind the attacks but said that all incidents are investigated.

Harris said he investigation into Roscahill is ongoing and added that the premises is very remote and difficult to find.

The commissioner added that the suspects behind last Saturday’s fire are “most probably close” to the area.

Asked if there is an “information gap between central Government and gardaí” in relation to the location of those seeking international protection, and if the gardaí always get advanced notice of where asylum seekers will be placed, Deputy Commissioner Anne Marie McMahon disagreed.

McMahon said that “notification is invariably late in the day, and it’s a constant challenge,” with Ross Lake Hotel incident “certainly [a case of] late notification” for gardaí.

She added that the information came through “an informal route” as opposed to central government.

Additional reporting by Eimer McAuley