LAST UPDATE | 23 Jul

A LOCAL TD has accused the Department of Integration of “unwittingly doing such a bad job” that it is “driving people to the extremes” in Coolock, north Dublin.

Cian O’Callaghan of the Social Democrats said that the current lack of engagement is driving people away from moderate positions.

“What a lot of people are looking for is to be heard, to have their viewpoints taken on board and to be able to ask questions. And to not do that means losing a lot of people in the middle ground,” O’Callaghan said.

He added that he does not believe this would put an end to some of the violent protests, but said it would mean that people with “more extreme positions would be more isolated”.

Tensions have been high in the area since March of this year when the Department of Integration informed TDs and councillors that the site was earmarked for use in housing up to 500 asylum seekers on a phased basis.

A protest camp set up at the site had delayed renovation works getting underway for months but when works began on Monday last week and the camp was cleared, violent protests ensued, with multiple fires started at the site across the week.

Since then, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has called for the Government to engage with Coolock residents, something local TDs are also calling for.

Located within the Dublin Bay North electoral constituency, Coolock has four TDs. The Journal approached all four for comment about the way forward.

Fianna Fáil’s Seán Haughey did not respond to the request.

The Department of Integration has claimed that it has already sufficiently engaged with the local community. 

In March, it informed local TD and councillors and in early April hosted a meeting with TDs, concillors and community representatives.

However, Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan told The Journal the Department has not done enough.

He made the point that the Department initially only invited TDs and councillors to the meeting in March, but when he and others said they would not attend unless community representatives were also invited, it then broadened the invitation.

O’Callaghan claims the invite was issued to community representatives at very short notice and many could not attend.

He said suggestions and feedback provided to the Department at the meeting were not acted on.

“If the Department seriously believes that was a good effort at community engagement, I just don’t think that’s credible. It’s only the start of community engagement rather than the endpoint.

“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done there and the failure to do it creates a vacuum for people who are trying to sow division and hate,” O’Callaghan said.

It is O’Callaghan’s view that the Department of Integration has been left isolated by other Government Departments on this issue.

“The Department might genuinely think they have done what is needed but they’re so far from what needs to be done. Unwittingly what they have done by doing such a poor job on engagement is drive people to the extremes. 

“There’s a big job of learning to be done here,” he added.

In terms of what needs to happen next, O’Callaghan said the Department needs to start reaching out to local groups and community organisations in the area, such as men’s sheds, sports clubs, youth services, addiction networks, Traveller organisations and others. 

“That’s the very start. Through those structures, find ways of engaging with people and residents on the ground.

“It’s a big piece of work and vital that it’s done.

“Trying to have a substantial project like this without community engagement, I don’t think it works,” O’Callaghan said.

He added that the narrative of not engaging with communities because they don’t get vetos on who gets to live in the area “completely misses the point”.

The Department of Integration told The Journal that it has already engaged with community groups. 

“The Community Engagement Team held a meeting with local elected representatives and community leaders on 08 April. The community groups were nominated by local representatives and included representatives of youth groups, the Men’s Shed, community development organisations working in areas of anti-poverty, addiction supports and integration as well as sporting organisations,” a spokesperson said. 

They added that the Department has had “ongoing engagement with local representatives, and has also met with the Northside Community Forum, which includes 75 community groups, and the Northside Partnership”. 

O’Callaghan told The Journal that the two hour meeting was more of a “box ticking exercise” than a genuine attempt to reach out to the local community. 

Meanwhile, Fine Gael TD for the area, Richard Bruton told The Journal that some people involved are not interested in consultation and are just trying to use this protest “for their own purposes”.

He said engagement isn’t about “having a big row in a public hall”, instead it’s about “finding a process that can be sustained in some way”.

When asked what he thinks needs to now happen to bring an end to the protests, Bruton responded: “There are people trying to devise solutions to this.”

“It’s trying to find a way to have engagement that will work, it’s not easy to design. Some people feel intimidated and some people are so angry so it’s hard to have engagement with them. That’s the challenge,” Bruton said.

Sinn Féin TD, Denise Mitchell said the only way this will be resolved ins by getting people in the community with genuine concerns around the table. 

Mitchell said: “I’m from Coolock, I grew up in Darndale. I’m devastated, I’m heartbroken seeing what’s happened.”

“I’m not calling out for rioters and those who set fires and assaulted security guards to come to the table, I’m asking the real people with concerns to come forward,” Mitchell told The Journal.

She urged the Department of Integration to “come and answer questions” that the community has. 

“It’s not us – it’s not the people of Coolock. We can’t keep going on like this.”