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LAST UPDATE | 21 Mar 2019
THE PLAN TO open a Direct Provision centre at a disused hotel in Rooskey, Co Leitrim, has been scrapped.
The Department of Justice said the decision is due to a leasing issue and not related to suspected arson attacks at the former hotel.
A spokesperson confirmed the decision and said the department “regrets that it is not in a position to proceed with plans to open an accommodation centre in the Shannon Key West Hotel”.
They said the decision was taken following legal advice sought from the Chief State Solicitor’s Office which “found difficulties with the lease agreement between the owners of the hotel, and the operator renting it, which made proceeding with the proposed centre unviable”.
The spokesperson said the department is “not party to these lease arrangements and these matters are outside our control”.
They added that the department remains “committed to sourcing suitable premises to meet the accommodation needs of people in the international protection process”.
A regional procurement process for new centres to house asylum seekers is currently under way and will continue throughout the year. Concerns have been raised about the rural location, and related lack of services, of some current and planned DP centres.
Suspected arson attacks
The former hotel in Rooskey was subjected to two suspected arson attacks in January and February.
The site of another planned DP centre, in Moville in Co Donegal, was also subjected to a suspected arson attack in November.
Both centres were due to open in January but the process was delayed after the fires.
The department’s spokesperson said the decision not to proceed with the Rooskey centre was taken “solely in relation to the difficulties with the lease”.
However, Leitrim And Roscommon United Against Racism believes the suspected arson attacks are linked to the move.
In a statement released today, the group said: “Nobody apart from the government thought it was a good idea to house 80 asylum seekers in Rooskey.
However is regretful that the government appear to have backed down in the face of racist arson attacks and a vocal hard-right minority in this area. This will be portrayed by the far-right minority in our communities as a victory for them.
The group said the legal issues surrounding the use of the former hotel as a DP centre “should have been tested fully in court”.
The statement added that today’s announcement “may very well have a negative impact on the ability of the State to house asylum seekers elsewhere”.
Almost 6,300 people live in 38 Direct Provision centres across Ireland, most of which are privately run.
As of this month, 729 individuals have been granted protection status or permission to remain in Ireland – 206 people have refugee status; 441 people have permission-to-remain status and 82 people have subsidiary protection status.
Close to 450 people have been living in DP centres for over five years as they await a decision on their status or subsequent appeals.
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Common sense prevails. It was a terrible idea to put this many asylum seekers in a place like Rooskey. They should be put in areas that can accommodate them like posh south county Dublin. I’m sure virtue signallers like Pat Kenny would love to have them next door!
@Sean Murphy: Pat Kenny lives on the northside, in Howth.
@Sean Murphy: fat chance of seeing a DP centre in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown. Diversity is only for the little people. Do as i say not as i do comes to mind
@Ian Breathnach:
Pat lives in Dalkey which is 100% on the SouthSide… if he lived on the Northside he would have some Personality :-)
@Ian Breathnach: actually he lives in Dalkey
@Ian Breathnach: Pat Kenny lives in Dalkey.
@Ian Breathnach: I bet you wish you could delete posts :)
@Ian Breathnach: I think that’s the other ex-late late tv host you are thinking of that lives in Howth.
@Ian Breathnach: Pat lives in Dalkey.
@Ian Breathnach: no that’s Gay Byrne
@Ian Breathnach: that would be Gay Byrne
@TheJeff: and probably a criminal conviction. : )
@Sean Murphy: probably chosen by a bean counting civil servant that has no idea of the place
@Ian Breathnach: no he doesn’t! South Side , Killiney.
@Tom Kelly: What do you call a north-sider in a suit? The defendant.
The hoodwinking tactic of these re settling programmes needs to end, the authorities need to openly discuss it with locals ‘before’ arranging accommodation. Give the schools , local doctors etc what they need before the arrivals and you will rule out over half the protesters, leaving only the racists who no one will listen to..
@MickN:
It needs to be addressed alright. They can’t continue planting strangers into rural towns and communities without at least some prior consultations with the locals. Regardless of what country the strangers come from or what nationality they are.
@Milk The Drones: your logic escapes me. So should I as a “stranger” have been vetted by the residents of the rural town I moved to? Or is the colour of my skin and my cultural background exempt me?
@Sea Graham:
It’s not comparable. You as an individual are not going to effect the dynamics of a very small rural town. Talking about a sudden influx of groups of up to 80 people here. Nobody mentioned vetting or skin color except you.
Rural folks are decent and proud of their communities and it’s not wrong that they should be afforded the common decency of being informed in advance. A little consultation can go a long way. You can fathom that logic here no?
@MickN: Someone’s making money exploiting these refugees anyway.
@MickN: my mother was a “blow-in” for the first 20 years of her marriage in rural Ireland having moved from Navan…. not until the boom times when the dubs bought houses was she considered a local…. the people at these direct provision centers are better off locating to towns and cities are they’d never be allowed to become part of the clannish, small minded communities that exist the length and breath of our country….
@Milk The Drones: not much to do in a lot of rural towns nowadays
@Sea Graham: Your head most likely makes it difficult for you to assimilate anywhere, if you’ll pardon the pun.
Sending hundreds of refugees into a small rural community that has barely enough rescources for the locals, joke, out of sight out of mind
@Porter Mechanic: the plan was to sent 80 asylum seekers there.
@David Jordan: and at that, how are 80 people going to change the dynamic of the town. You’d fit them into a partitioned classroom/conference room. Irrational fear and nimbyism.
@Porter Mechanic: Go see Kilburn and Cricklewood
@Bruce van der Gutschmitzer: 80 people in a classroom what school did you go to?
80 people is an additional 15% to the village population
@Bruce van der Gutschmitzer: Rooskey has a population of roughly 500 people. If you were to put 80 Dubs from the inner city into Rooskey you’d completely change the dynamics of the village, never mind 80 from Pakistan or DR Congo.
@Sean Murphy: what’s the difference between refugees from Dublin and refugees from the Congo?
Is that the issue, skin colour?
“Asylum seekers” from Albania,Georgia,Pakistan,Nigeria,South Africa —war torn countries my ? When will our government cop on to what these people really are?
@Michael Fahy: Asylum seekers can be fleeing religious, racial or political persecution not just ‘war torn countries’
@Michael Fahy: look up the definition of a refugee or someone seeking asylum. Those countries stated have some dire regions with crazy stuff happening. Educate yourself before making yourself look lazy.
@Niall Carry: so what? Plenty of booming countries in Africa. Why not Dubai or Saudi.? More similar to their own culture. We don’t need people who can’t be self sufficient, it’s just unsustainable. 80% are proven to be not refugees, that’s the truth. We are a soft touch.
@edelno5 .: post your evidence
@Michael Fahy: Bogus Nigerian Asylum Seekers:
‘The Nigerian embassy has accused some of its nationals of making “unfounded allegations” against the country in a “desperate attempt” to remain in Ireland when their asylum applications fail.
The embassy accused “bogus” Nigerian asylum-seekers of making “terrible and unfounded” allegations against their country of origin in order to stay in Ireland “at all costs”.
In a statement, it also accused journalists and non-governmental organisations of encouraging asylum-seekers to “vilify” Nigeria as a means of staying in Ireland.’
Source: The Irish Times
‘Bogus’ Nigerian asylum-seekers vilifying country, says embassy
@Ashish Uday Lal: Aren’t Nigerian Asylum Seekers meant to seek refuge in the nearest safe country, not buy a plane ticket to far off Ireland to avail of Irish taxpayer handouts?
‘The Nigerian embassy has accused some of its nationals of making “unfounded allegations” against the country in a “desperate attempt” to remain in Ireland when their asylum applications fail.
The embassy accused “bogus” Nigerian asylum-seekers of making “terrible and unfounded” allegations against their country of origin in order to stay in Ireland “at all costs”.
In a statement, it also accused journalists and non-governmental organisations of encouraging asylum-seekers to “vilify” Nigeria as a means of staying in Ireland’
Source: The Irish Times
‘Bogus’ Nigerian asylum-seekers vilifying country, says embassy
Well im absolutely delighted
@Paddy Jennings: me too !! The government will good wink us all this time and send them to Cork or Galway etc and not tell a soul..
You should see how many foreign refugees are here in Cork now … it’s abnormally high !!
Good. The poor Syrian refugees have been through enough without abandoning them in Leitrim
@Diarmuid Moore: as far as I understand, the hotel was set to accommodate asylum seekers not refugees, so few or no Syrians would have gone to the hotel. Asylum seekers unlike refuges have to live in direct provision centres, some direct provision centers have Syrian refugees in them while they find other accommodation. Leitrim has already found homes for 60 Syrian refugees so far.
@David Jordan: well whoever the poor souls I’m sure they left their homeland in search of a better life not death from boredom.
@Diarmuid Moore:
More like draft dodgers
also 80% of the syrian army are in non combat roles and are in part time jobs.
Theres only a few hundred at idlib keeping a eye on the islamists and turkish observation posts since isis was dealt with a few months ago on the west of the euphrates.
@Fenian: I calculate a maximum of 16 refugees in Ireland might be draft dodgers out of 389 Syrian refugees in Ireland, but this is likely an over estimate.
About 6 million Syrian refugees fled Syria. Turkey has 3.4 million, Lebanon 2.4 million, Jordan 1.2 million and Germany 0.7 million. Ireland took in 389 Syrian Refugees.
Syria’s pre-war army was 325,000. It decreased by 175,000 to 150,000 due to switching to rebel side, deaths, dissertation. If we assume 100,000 deserters from the Syrian Arab Army all fled Syria, and we assume every single fighting aged Alawite male fled abroad to avoid the draft (25% of 2.6 million Alawites), we find about 0.75 million draught dodgers fled Syria. This is likely a large over estimate, but we’ll assume it’s this high.
This is about 12.5% of refugees.
Out of 389 Syrian refugees in Ireland, about 130 are fighting aged males (ca. 33%). Using the 12.5% figure, we find there may be 16 draught dodgers.
This is very unlikely to be a large over estimate, we have assumed all fighting aged Alawite males fled Syria – the true number it likely to be much less than this.
@Diarmuid Moore: they would wish they stayed at home instead of been sent to a place like Leitrim
Ah, they( Government) can use all the excuses they wish, this is a victory for the people, the people that were kept in the dark and not given proper information, and not communicated with before the bullying attitude was adopted . Trying to force people into a strange environment with little or no structures in place for their care.
@Eugene Comaskey: Indeed a victory for the people- foreign refugees not being brought to the ‘strange’ place that is Leitrim. They must be very afraid of these 80 people…
@Ashish Uday Lal: The government was proposing to settle 80 people in a village of 500. A village with little or nothing to do but drink and admire the scenery.
We need to start looking at provision centers in more populated areas that have amenities and the possibility of work.
The government’s policy smacks of ‘out of sight, out of mind’.
I wonder do they just throw darts at a map.
@Will: Nothing like a population increase of 20% to stimulate a stagnant economy
@Ashish Uday Lal: I’m not saying that the locals are afraid of 80 Foreigners, I’m saying 80 People foreign to this area, knowing nobody, probably not a word of English, no Doctors to look after them, no School places for them, this is really a Rural area. What are they going to spend their time doing..? No joined up thinking here, just throw them into an empty hotel without telling the locals, well it didn’t work, did it?.
This will be promoted as a victory for the racists.
@Orla Smith: or maybe…difficulties with the lease agreement …
@Dan: We know that already, it’s in the article! Jesus.
@Orla Smith: relax ..
@Orla Smith: The only one making this issue about race is you. Listen buddy, it’s time you created a new username and start over – you’re getting hammered on every comment that you make
@Orla Smith: How many have you taken into your house???
@Diktore: Back bullying female commenters again I see, you had comments deleted for that previously. Stick to the Minecraft chat rooms in mother’s basement.
@Orla Smith: How many have you taken into your home? Where you lead, others will follow.
@John Tierney: Same amount of Irish homeless you have!
@Orla Smith: That’s rich coming from you Orla, you’re one of the biggest bullies on The Journal. You’re so sour you’d make lemons look sweet by comparison.
@Orla Smith: The HRT affecting your mood, again?
@Orla Smith: You musnt have ever played the game
there is no chat rooms
although there is a chat box
@Orla Smith: We only have your word that you are female and you’ve been caught lying numerous times before so…….
@Orla Smith: Logic is not your strong suit, is it “Orla” ?
All the Alt-Right trolls, so triggered!
@Orla Smith: Hi Orla. Nobody knows what ‘race(s)’ Leitrim’s intended guests were to be, so your talk of “brown men” is a moot point. They may have been ‘Caucasian’ and female. It’s speculation and rumour mongering that feeds the fires of hatred.
@Repealed and Museum Pro-Life Staff in Ireland: Hi, with a miniscule exception, all people in DP are from Africa, Asia and the Mid-East.
@Orla Smith: proud moment for logic something you miss here in this picture do the math
@Orla Smith: Most of the recent ones are from Georgia and Albania.
How many people from Leitrim have been welcomed in foreign countries?
@Kieron Meehan: Possibly some percentage of the 80 million Irish diaspora?
Common Sense
I’d say the locals will be celebrating tonight!
@Mike Conway: so cool to celebrate the misery of others!
@Ashish Uday Lal: I notice you never post an opinion yourself, you just wait on the sidelines and make moronic remarks on other’s views.
This will only tell the people responsible that they were successful,now there is a problem with the lease? Me arse,the place was a week away from opening and they found a problem with the lease,another f€€k up by this incompetent govt.
@Mark Plunkett: common denominator.. Civil Servants
@Mark Plunkett: what was the result of the legal proceedings?
I’m sure the Leitrim chapter of the KKK is happy with themselves.
@Joseph Bent: go cry in another little tea cup snowflake
@Joseph Bent: ah now that’s Shi.e talk
@Joseph Bent: Moron.
I love how everyone blames the “racists” but not political stupidity !!
80 foreigners in a town of 500 WTF !!
They’ll just send them to Cork watch … there are so many here in the last 4 years it’s abnormal. Where are the numbers on the amount here in Cork over the last 5 years? If they shared that data there would be a massive uproar in Cork !!
The far left shout racist every time they don’t get their way .. maybe those leftists should follow the words of the Dalai Lamas own words – they should go back to build up their pwn countries !! Let me here one of those lefty cry wolf and call him a racist now !!!
@goliathof1: What’s a normal number for Cork? It sounds like Cork is overrun by a tsunami of refugees and asylum seekers. Must be the ‘far left’ you talk about…or you’re a perfect example of a xenophobic hysteric that I mentioned in my first comment
As I like to say; It’s all well and good until it’s in your back garden. Then see how your feelings on this change!
DP is a cruel treatment for both asylum seekers and yes, locals! We can do better.
They come here for work and money a new life, say they’re even happy not to be sent to the countryside otherwise they’d have stayed in first country of entry
@Gerard Heery: Yes the refugees & asylum seekers do come for work, money and life…what we all want. The country of first arrival may be overloaded like Turkey, unsafe for certain groups like South Africa, or may be part of the EU, where some attempt is made to distribute the load evenly.
@Ashish Uday Lal: South Africans especially blacks have no right to asylum – on what basis ?
@Ashish Uday Lal: you don’t know what you’re taking about
@goliathof1: actually you don’t and have clearly never met an asylum seeker or refugees. Try talking to some Congolese about their experiences in South Africa.
@goliathof1: clearly you have missed the point that I have mentioned a S.A. as a first point arrival not a source
@Ashish Uday Lal: How do Asylum Seekers get from South Afrika to Ireland?
@Josh Hanners: By plane or boat I presume. Clearly many people are foaming at the mouth about refugees & asylum seekers when the greatest hardship they might face on a daily basis is traffic. At least 6 commentators are jumping in on a 6 hour story trying to claim I am wrong in various ways. Your insecurity about your identity & yourselves is pathetic. You seem to appear in articles about immigration, citizenship, passports, terrorism decrying the evil other. What a bunch of ignorant, xenophobic, bigots.
The usual bunch of xenophobic hysterics commenting on legitimacy, plantations & a host of other ‘issues’ that should be addressed before asylum seekers. Most wouldn’t have a clue what to do if faced with any adversity. Fate deems they are born on a stable island, and they feel it gives them a mandate to judge all of society.
@Ashish Uday Lal: It’s all the same racist commenters, they get the comments section shut down on every DP article so they can’t be challenged. Also none of them have ever taken in any Irish homeless themselves despite all their virtue signalling.
@Ashish Uday Lal: we fought the “adversity” in 1798 1916 1919 and countless other times i dont see that happening in the countries where these refugees and asylum seekers are flooding out of from, except syria where the syrian army cleared isis from the last few areas in deir ezzur that they held last year , a palestinian camp and a swampy island on the euphrates river.
@Fenian: I’m pretty sure on a few things- people have fought adversity in different countries throughout history- and second, there is no ‘flood’ of refugees & asylum seekers coming here in particular. Your post says nothing apart from you think that just because you haven’t seen something, it hasn’t happened
@Ashish Uday Lal: it’s stable for a reason and in order to remain that way we can’t let just anyone from any culture in without proper vetting !! So many of these asylum seekers lie when they come to a country – don’t dare tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about I worked in a centre for such people !!
@goliathof1: ‘such people’? Them coloured folks, you mean? Or is it people who aren’t Catholic? If it is, would protestants be acceptable?
A gay, black Muslim would be your worst nightmare, would he?
Of course it wont go ahead, Letrum isnt a real county lads.
@Miriam McNamara: You’re absolutely right Miriam, Letrum isn’t a real county. Leitrim on the other hand is.
Sorry for pointing this out but when I see 2 forms of ignorance in the one sentence, it’s kind of annoying
Whats the likely hood paradub will be successful in keeping this hotel running?
this is amazing, I heard a lady on the radio begging people to come and live in leitrim and Roscommon recently. Stating the advantages of cheaper houses smaller schools etc..She forgot to mention that they only wanted white and Irish or else they would be burnt out. Smashing place.
@Loretta stiletto: and Catholic, ideally. Or possibly protestant. Or even atheist, as long as they’re Irish Catholic atheists, with white skin of course.
Lovely Leitrim. Stop this ridiculous practice.
This will be the end of this town. With an avergae age of 60-70 and so few people they will lose vital services. Ambulance services will move away. The Garda station will move away, the Post Office will move away, and soon all businesses will move away. Without immigration to this town it will also just go away. If they are hoping maybe tourists will save the town, think again. If someone Googles the name and the first results are all about how they burned foriegners out of their homes do not expect tourists to put this place on their to visit list. It’s going to be another ghost town and the people there have no one to blame but themselves.
have your say