ROSCREA AT ‘TIPPING POINT’ AS ITS ONLY HOTEL IS GIVEN TO REFUGEES
TIPPERARY TD Michael Lowry has claimed Roscrea is at a ‘tipping point’ as 160 asylum seekers are due to move into the town’s only hotel.
Hundreds of protesters are expected to gather again today outside the Racket Hall Hotel following the announcement that it will close to the public and begin accommodating international protection applicants.
Many local residents believe their town is ‘full to capacity’ as the convent in Roscrea already houses up to 400 asylum seekers, while a further 200 reside at the former Sean Ross Abbey. The hotel’s 40 bedrooms are now being repurposed to accommodate families, totalling 160 people seeking international protection.
The owners, Swiftcastle Roscrea Ltd, have signed up with the Department of Integration for 12 months. Independent TD Mr Lowry said he was ‘surprised and disappointed’ by the announcement. ‘The people of Roscrea have already responded in a kind and generous manner by welcoming hundreds of displaced people into the town,’ he told Tipp FM.
‘There’s already a direct provision centre and we have provided places for 400 Ukrainian refugees. On top of that there are local factories and businesses with large numbers of foreign nationals employed. They have welcomed the victims of the war in Ukraine with open arms and willingly opened their hearts.
‘But I have to say yesterday’s announcement is a tipping point and I have serious concerns. The town is already overburdened… services are pushed beyond their limit, there’s no overnight Garda presence, schools are beyond capacity, GPs and medical services are not able to cope.’
Mr Lowry claimed the presence of large numbers of asylum seekers in Roscrea has many residents concerned. He said recurring incidents in recent months have ‘eroded their sense of security’.
He said: ‘They do not feel safe on the streets. Parents are fearful of allowing teenagers out after dark and families and older people have had to increase security in their homes. That’s the reality of the facts in Roscrea.’
Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said he had ‘full respect’ for Mr Lowry’s position, but insisted the Government has an obligation to cater for those seeking protection in Ireland. ‘This is not a matter of Government
policy; this is the Government responding to an emergency and trying to find shelter to put a roof over people’s heads,’ he told RTÉ’s News at One.
‘People in every community have a right to have concerns, to ask questions and seek information when there is to be any change in a village or town – that’s human nature. The Government policy is to move beyond this scenario where we are having to make use of whatever is available to provide shelter and to try to get to a point where we are less reliant on the private market.’
Residents at the hotel will be provided with high-speed WiFi, a self-catering service and a weekly voucher or debit card for a local store. A transport service will also be supplemented by the provider. Community group ‘Roscrea Stands Up’ has encouraged its 2,300 social media followers to attend the protest today, stating: ‘Racket Hall Hotel being closed to the people of Roscrea and the surrounding areas – our only functioning hotel... the Government has closed yet another business in Roscrea. There will be a protest... we need everyone in Roscrea and the surrounding area to attend. We need people who live in other parts of Ireland that are originally from Roscrea to attend, we need to come out and protest peacefully.’
Breandán Ó Conchúir, Sinn Féin local election candidate for Roscrea, said: ‘Less than a year on from the decision to house Ukrainians in the old convent, yet it appears the Government... once again is making decisions without informing locals or ensuring services are in place. The last census showed 17% of the population of Roscrea was from non-Irish ethnic backgrounds. These people live and work locally and have by and large integrated into the community. You cannot have integration without honesty, and it is clear the Government is not interested in honesty.
He said the town needed its only hotel for tourism. Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘I’ve been assured that there are enough resources for the town to be able to cope. Myself and the council will be meeting the Minister [for Integration, Roderic O’Gorman] next week to ensure the town gets a fair crack of the whip. The residents deserved more consultation and there was a bit of confusion. It now appears families are going to be sent there which I feel will bring a bit of normality back as no one wants to see women and children out in the cold on a winter’s day.’
‘Afraid to let teens out after dark’