Diarmuid Pepper reporting in Reykjavik

TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has said the blockade outside asylum seeker accommodation in Co Clare is “wrong” but cautioned that the “genuine concerns” of local communities should not be dismissed.

However, Varadkar added that there is a need to “acknowledge” that some of those attending recent protests “hold racist views and we have to stand up to that”.

On Monday evening, a bus carrying over 30 asylum seekers arrived by bus at Magowna House hotel in Inch, Co Clare.

Some local people then blocked both ends of the hotel road with tractors.

Political representatives from Clare will have a video call with Minister for Equality and Integration Roderic O’Gorman later to discuss the protest.

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns blamed the government for an “increasingly chaotic response” to the migrant crisis and “an abject failure to provide emergency accommodation” during Leaders Questions today.

“The manager of Magowna House knew for three months that asylum seekers would be housed there. But nobody else was told,” she said.

“The local community was not told. Local politicians were not told. Even Clare Immigrant Support Center was not told.”

Minister for Justice Simon Harris responded, thanking Cairns for raising the issue.

“Minster O’Gorman is leading an incredible effort to respond to the largest humanitarian crisis any of us have lived through,” he said.

“I just want to assure Deputy Cairns that the entire government and the cabinet committee chaired by the Taoiseach is coordinating the effort in relation to this.”

“I also, for the information of the House, want to confirm that Minister O’Gorman now intends to open 350 additional beds this week.”

“Ireland’s response to this has not been perfect. I’m not sure any country’s has. But we have achieved an awful lot together as a country and the government has done an awful lot in a short period of time.”

Leo Varadkar told reporters today at the Council of Europe Summit in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik that the blockade was wrong.

“Nobody should have their free access over public roads stopped in that way.”

However, Varadkar added that “sometimes people in local communities have genuine concerns”.

“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,” said Varadkar.

“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”.

He added: “We’ll be speaking to Minister Gorman later on and I’m confident that we’ll be able to get to a situation whereby we’ll be able to bring some of the buildings as part of that complex into use for people who need accommodation.”

Varadkar also noted that there’s been over 100 protests over asylum seeker accommodation “in the last couple of weeks”.

“Most of them are very small,” said Varadkar, “but some are larger and a small number have become violent.”

He said that the government has a “responsibility to provide information and to communicate with local people about what’s happening in their area”.

Varadkar added that the government is “stepping up our efforts to do that all the time”.

He also noted that the government must work to “dispel a lot of the misinformation and false stories that are being put about”.

“We shouldn’t not acknowledge what is happening here,” said Varadkar.

“There are people who hold extreme views, who hold racist views, essentially, and we have to stand up to that.

“When it comes to most people, with information and with communication and with assurance, I think you can get them on board.

“But there always will be a small minority of people who have extreme views or have racist views and they need to be stood up to.”

At a Cabinet meeting last night, Minister O’Gorman was said to have appealed for more assistance in dealing with the asylum seeker crisis.

Varadkar noted that he wasn’t at the Cabinet meeting yesterday as a result of being at the Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik.

“So I’m not sure exactly what did or did not happen, but what I can say is that this is a whole of government effort when it comes to the issue of Ukraine and migration,” said Varadkar.

“Minister O’ Gorman is the head of the department of integration, but of course, education is involved as well, 14,000 children from Ukraine are being provided with education or schools.

“Tens of thousands of medical cards have been issued by the Department of Health and the Department of Social Protection are very involved in giving people the welfare supports that they need.

“Every government department is involved in their own way but there does have to be a lead department that is naturally the department of integration.”

When asked if Minister O’Gorman is receiving enough support, Varadkar said that “any support that has been asked for, I think at this stage, is available and has been given”.

He added that “a huge amount of money has been set aside for this” and that the “real challenge has been finding accommodation”.

“The difficulty that we have is that nearly 100,000 people have arrived in Ireland seeking protection in the past year, and we’re struggling to find places to shelter them to keep them safe,” said Varadkar.

“Any time Minister O’ Gorman has approached government for help, particularly when it comes to financial help, that’s been made available.

“Where there have been difficulties is getting staff because we have full employment at the moment, and (there is difficulty in) actually finding places to accommodate people because there is a general housing shortage at the moment.”

Varadkar also commended the gardaí for the job they have done in “managing what can be a difficult situation”.

“They have the full support of government and as you know, additional resources are being provided throughout the course of this year.”