LAST UPDATE | 17 May 2023
MINISTER FOR INTEGRATION Roderic O’Gorman has said that a hotel in Inch “has to be used” to house asylum seekers due to a lack of alternative accommodation.
O’Gorman told TDs and Senators from Clare that it would not be possible to close the hotel despite concerns being raised, particularly around poor communications from the Department.
On Monday evening, a bus carrying over 30 asylum seekers arrived at Magowna House hotel in Inch, Co Clare.
Some local people then blocked both ends of the hotel road with tractors.
Several asylum seekers have already left the accommodation following the blockade.
This morning, RTÉ reported that a bus with asylum seekers on board was refused access to leave Magowna House by protestors blockading the hotel, unless those protesting were allowed to board the bus.
Asked about this incident, O’Gorman said that he had seen the reports but had not yet confirmed them. However, he described it as “absolutely unacceptable.”
“If it is the case, it is absolutely unacceptable and I think both that and the blockade outside the centre is entirely unacceptable.”
He said that the local protestors involved in the blockade to “reflect on where they at at the moment”.
When asked if he would meet with a delegation of local protestors, O’Gorman said that he would be open to a meeting, either online or at his Department in Dublin.
When asked directly, O’Gorman refused to be drawn on whether or not he would travel to Clare.
He said that the “vast majority” of issues with asylum seekers are based on “preconceptions about international protection applicants” and that the Government has sought to alleviate concerns.
Speaking to The Journal, Fianna Fáil senator Timmy Dooley said that he welcomed O’Gorman’s engagement with local representatives and the fact he would examine their concerns.
Dooley said that local TDs and Senators needed to “de-escalate” the situation and that work was required to end the protest and “bring people with us”.
“They have their concerns and we need to find a way to mollify their concerns. That takes leadership and time,” Dooley said.
“It’s not about taking sides but it’s about talking through the minutiae.”
However, Dooley did raise concerns about people from outside the community stoking tensions.
This afternoon, the Tánaiste told reporters that asylum seekers who arrived in Inch, Co Clare on Monday are “not a threat to society” as a protest objecting to them staying in the town continues.
It comes after the Taoiseach said the protest outside the accommodation was “wrong” but cautioned that the “genuine concerns” of local communities should not be dismissed.
Micheál Martin said that the Minister for Equality and Integration Roderic O’Gorman has the support he needs to house asylum seekers arriving in Ireland, but said that housing asylum seekers is “very, very difficult”.
“I think that we must always, in anything we do in our society, have the dignity of the individual and the human being at centre stage, and these are people who have come from very difficult situations, the world is in considerable conflict at the moment, many conflicts all over the world, that’s leading to a lot of migration,” Martin said.
“We’ve a horrific war on our doorstep in Europe in Ukraine, but apart from that, we have significant additional migration resulting from conflicts all over the world in addition to the impacts of climate change in some parts of the world.
“And that’s evident right across Europe and right across the world, in fact, and Ireland is no different in that respect.
“Now we have accommodated unprecedented numbers this year, over and above anything experienced since the foundation of the state. That has created strains and pressures.”
But I think we need to, as a society, be very clear that many of the people coming forward are not a threat to society or to our communities as sometimes is presented, wrongfully, by some groups.
“I understand there are pressures, I understand there are concerns. We have a duty then in terms of communication in dealing with those concerns, and also in terms of wider issues.
“This is a collective government endeavour, we’re all working collectively with local authorities to do the very best we can in terms of provision of accommodation.”
Fine Gael councillor and Deputy Mayor of Ennis Mary Howard said the site in Inch is not appropriate for the asylum seekers.
She claimed that there is no infrastructure to support the asylum seekers in the rural area and the local community feel “very vulnerable”.
“This is not anything to do with racism, it’s just the whole site is inappropriate. It’s not the correct place,” Howard told RTÉ’s News at One this afternoon.
“This whole townland is about 15 houses, and you have this beautiful little country hotel located there that’s been closed since 2019,” she said, adding that the infrastructure is inappropriate for the asylum seekers who have arrived there.
“There isn’t a streetlight, there isn’t a footpath. There is nothing there for them to do.”
Howard said Clare is a very multicultural county and the community has welcomed different nationalities for many decades.
She also said the Taoiseach needs to visit the site and hopes O’Gorman will also meet the local residents.
Speaking during Leaders’ Questions this afternoon, Justice Minister Simon Harris said the Department of Integration intends to open 350 additional beds for migrants this week.
“That will make a very significant difference,” he said.
Despite these new beds, O’Gorman told reporters that the Government remained under “significant pressure”.
“This will allow us offer accommodation to a significant number of international protection applicants including some who are currently currently rough sleeping,” O’Gorman said.
“However, we’re still under significant pressure and we as a department will still need to continue to procure additional accommodation in the weeks ahead.”
Harris said the Cabinet committee is coordinating the effort to house migrants.
On community engagement, he added: “This week, the Government will announce the allocation of a 50 million euro fund which will see every county in Ireland receive a level of funding as well. ”
Asked by Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns whether Cabinet ministers are “pulling their weight” to support O’Gorman, Harris said O’Gorman is leading “incredible efforts to the largest humanitarian crisis probably any of us have lived through”.
“We’re all working tirelessly to support and there are very concrete examples of that beyond words,” he said.
Speaking to reporters at the Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik today, Leo Varadkar said the blockade at the hotel was wrong, but did not want to dismiss genuine concerns raised by local people.
“Nobody should have their free access over public roads stopped in that way,” he said.
But I also don’t want to dismiss the fact that sometimes people in local communities do have genuine concerns that need to be listened to.
“That’s why there is going to be an engagement today involving the Minister and also local reps to give communities the information, the reassurance, that they need.”
Varadkar noted that communities don’t have a “veto” over who can live in their area.
“Information and consultation, as I’ve always said, is exactly that; it’s not a veto.
“Nobody gets to say who can and cannot live in their area and we can’t have that kind of situation. But I think we shouldn’t dismiss concerns that people have about their locality.
“People do want to know what’s happening and they want certain assurances, and we’ve a responsibility to do that. But that doesn’t mean that anyone can say that certain types of people can’t live in their area, we can’t tolerate that.”
When asked if he would call on the protesters to leave Magowna House Hotel, Varadkar said he would “see how the talks go today”.
Contains reporting by Tadgh McNally and Press Association
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