‘We’ll up ante to stop Narconon’

RESIDENTS of a Co. Meath village have vowed that they will not stop protesting until plans to open a Scientology-linked drug rehabilitation centre in the village are called off.

Locals in Ballivor are ‘up in arms’ following recent confirmation that the Narconon group will go ahead with the controversial centre, despite the community’s outrage.

The facility, which Narconon claims will be worth around €850,000 to the community a year, will cater for 34 patients with 18 staff. Due to the fact that it is a privatesector endeavour, it won’t get HSE funding or be subject to HSE inspections.

According to Ballivor resident and Ballivor Says No committee member, Claire O’Mara, this lack of State supervision and the centre’s strong Scientology link is one of the main reasons locals are protesting.

‘If it was a drug rehabilitation that was governed by the HSE and they were open to Hiqa inspections, we would have absolutely no problem whatsoever,’ she told the Irish Daily Mail.

‘Their reputation precedes them’

Fellow committee member, Linda Wilson, echoed her comments, saying: ‘It’s the fact that it’s related to Scientology... Their reputation precedes them and not for a good reason.’

The plan for the centre, which protesters say would be located close to a primary school and beside a pre-school, prompted the Ballivor Says No committee to hand a petition into Leinster House earlier this month. It was signed by over 750 locals.

And Ms O’Mara insists locals are determined to not back down, and will escalate their protesting to ensure that the centre does not open in their rural village.

She added that two separate applications have been made to An Bord Pleanála to put a stop to the facility whose treatment programme has been discredited by the Department of Health. ‘We’re very confident we can stop this.’

A Narconon spokesperson said its centres offer a high level of care to patients, and have successfully put tens of thousands of people through its programmes.