THE TAOISEACH HAS said that conversations between the Department of Integration and a hotel in the town of Ballinrobe, in Co Mayo, about 50 asylum seekers being accommodated there are ongoing, despite the round the clock protest outside the premises.
A spokesperson for the Department of Integration has told The Journal that it “contracted accommodation in Ballinrobe to provide temporary accommodation for international protection applicants”.
They added that the Department is “continuing to engage” with the provider of that accommodation in Ballinrobe. The spokesperson said it is still intended that people will be accommodated at the premises.
Varadkar said that he has spoken to a local Fine Gael councillor in the area, Michael Burke, who yesterday announced that he had been reassured by the owner of JJ Ganon’s Hotel that the lease agreement that was being offered to the Department had been withdrawn after locals began protesting, as the owner didn’t want “any hassle”.
There have been arson attacks on buildings that were to be used as accommodation centers for international protection applicants, and in one case on a building that was to accommodate homeless families, in recent months.
Burke told The Journal yesterday that he is pleased that it appears that plans to accommodate 50 men seeking international protection in the town would not be going ahead, and he wrote on Facebook that he was “delighted” with the result.
Speaking on the RTÉ Radio One programme This Week, Varadkar said that Burke’s comments were not in line with Government or party policy, but that Fine Gael allows councillors “a lot of leeway” in terms of how they deal with local issues.
Varadkar said that he has told Burke that the alternative to accommodating those seeking international protection in Ireland is to have more people living on the streets.
“Nobody in a democracy has the right to exercise a veto on who moves into their community, that’s not just with asylum seeker accommodation, it includes Traveller accommodation, women’s refuges, and social housing,” the Taoiseach said.
He acknowledged that councillors and locals in Ballinrobe have “fears and concerns”, and said that it’s important that the Government provides them with whatever information they need.
Varadkar further said that the Government has a responsibility to reassure people that Ireland has a rules-based immigration system, and that it is “firm” with those who do not abide by the rules.
Varadkar said that Fine Gael does not tolerate racism or the spreading of misinformation by elected representatives within the party, and that people have been removed from the ticket in such instances before – but he stressed that these behaviours have not been perpetrated by any councillor in Ballinrobe.
Varadkar said that he has concerns that misinformation around immigration in Ireland, which was initially being propagated by conspiracy-fueled groups and far right agitators, is now being repeated by “mainstream politicians, and mainstream journalist.”
He said it is up to the Government to “take charge of this debate” and to ensure that people get accurate, facts-based information on the immigration system in Ireland.
The Department of Integration provided local councillors in Ballinrobe with a briefing informing them that 50 asylum seekers would be accommodated in the town from Monday 8 January, at roughly 2.30 pm on Thursday afternoon.
Councillors who spoke at the initial protest outside of the premises said that this four day notice period, over a weekend when local authority and Government departments were not easily contactable, was insufficient.
One councillor claimed that the Department was playing a “game” with the timings of information being released, intended to “frustrate” representatives.
At the same protest, a local woman spoke about how asylum seekers were going to be “planted” in the town “in the dead of night” – in a reference to the ‘Great Replacement’ conspiracy theory.
The protest that took place was organised and Gardaí were informed and present, and it took place peacefully. Over the weekend protestors have formed a guard outside of the premises, and are blockading it, and preventing people from going in.
A spokesperson for the Department of Integration said: “The situation in relation to accommodation for International Protection applicants more broadly remains extremely challenging, and the Department remains unable to offer accommodation to many newly arrived IP applicants at present.”
Over 450 people who have arrived in Ireland seeking international protection in recent weeks have been offered no accommodation, and some are sleeping rough.
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