Plans ‘leave lot to be desired’
‘Shocking’ to close town’s only hotel to house refugees claim speakers
Michael Lowry TD addresses the protest
Martin Browne TD speaking at Roscrea protest yesterday
Daniel and Emma Guerin with Rachel Morrissey at Racket Hall
PROTESTS continued in Roscrea, Co Tipperary yesterday over the conversion of the town’s only hotel into an asylum seeker centre.
Demonstrators have gathered at the Racket Hall Hotel since Thursday night in opposition to plans to house 160 asylum seekers there.
The protest was organised by the Roscrea Stands Up group which asked local TDS to come and speak.
A number of politicians, including independent TD Michael Lowry, addressed a large crowd which assembled on the town’s Main Street.
Fianna Fáil Councillor Michael Smith has expressed concern about job losses as a result of the hotel’s change of use.
Condemning the treatment of staff, Cllr Smith told RTE it was “quite shocking”.
He added: “That’s very difficult for families at any time of the year. It leaves a lot to be desired.”
Weddings and family functions planned for the coming year at the venue were cancelled.
Meanwhile, a county-by-county breakdown has revealed that Dublin has the majority of the country’s international protection applicants (IPAS).
The latest figures from the Department of Integration show that 26,279 asylum seekers, of whom 5,621 are children, are currently being accommodated across 258 centres nationwide.
The latest data shows there are an average of 307 arrivals per week, with 44 arrivals every day, and 29% are single males, 11% are females, 21% couples, 28% children, and 11% lone parents. The counties with the highest number of IPAS are Dublin, Galway, Cork, Mayo, and Wicklow. The counties with the lowest numbers are Carlow, Cavan, Kilkenny, Leitrim, and Longford. The top five nationalities applying for asylum are Nigeria, Georgia, Algeria, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. Separately, the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation has claimed that housing Ukrainians long-term in hotels could “change the whole tourism landscape of the country”. ITIC spokesman Eoghan O’mara Walsh said an estimated one in five tourism bedrooms nationally are now contracted to the Government for humanitarian reasons. He added: “It’s a big issue and one we’re very worried about.” In another move, the Irish Red Cross said containers or former offices could be converted and used to house refugees and asylum seekers. Representatives visited Brussels this week to see how Belgium is responding to the arrival of 76,000 refugees from Ukraine. The delegation visited the Ariane office block, which has been earmarked for 1,000 refugees, and a container village to accommodate 500 Ukrainians.
Protest sign