CALL TO ‘HOUSE OUR OWN FIRST’ SPLITS OPINIONS
BUT GLEESON INSISTS KILLARNEY SHOULD WELCOME REFUGEES
COUNCILLOR Michael Gleeson said he is ‘absolutely horrified’ over Cllr Grady’s protest at a decision to house refugees in Killarney’s Linden House, which made national headlines this week when a group of around 30 people joined Cllr Grady in his remonstrations.
Cllr Donal Grady said he intends to organise more protests until the refugees at Linden House are gone from Killarney. The protest has polarised public opinion, creating a swell of negative and hostile comments about refugees on social media and with some people condemning the actions of Cllr Grady.
The Kerryman understands that 14 refugees have been housed in the centre, which is capable of accommodating 55 people.
Cllr Gleeson said Killarney has always been devoted to hospitality and should facilitate the refugees in their time of need. He added that Killarney is a town capable of hosting 40,000 people on any given day without trouble and is one of the safest towns in the country. To somehow see the refugee issue as a threat to the town is wrong, he said.
“We should welcome these people and wish them well,” said Cllr Gleeson.
“To be fomenting fears is very unwise and is wrong. This is the great reality of the modern age with wars and ever increasing climate change making regions of the world uninhabitable. Our greatest gift is our shared humanity. If we renege on that we diminish ourselves and our community. I am very upset about this,” he added.
Cllr Grady rejected any suggestion that his action was racist and said he has received overwhelming support from people, especially from those who are afraid to say publicly what he has said.
“I have received huge support since the protest and we plan to hold more until these men are out of here. We don’t want any trouble, but we’re determined to see this through,” said Cllr Grady.
When contacted for a comment, a spokesperson for The Killarney Asylum Seekers Initiative (KASI) said they did not wish to ‘feed into the debate’ started by Cllr Grady.
“The reason we support refugees in this town is because they deserve a second chance. But we have no comment regarding what Cllr Grady has orchestrated.”
At Saturday’s protest Cllr Grady asked why people in Killarney can’t get houses and are homeless when a facility like Linden House is offered to refugees. The refugees first arrived in Dublin in mid-November and Cllr Grady claims he saw some of the refugees entering a Killarney night club on Friday night - adding they are ‘drinking coffee all day’ .
“They’re out of their minds drinking coffee since they arrived and where are they getting the money for this? We need to look after our own first and if people think I’m against foreigners, I’m not. I have helped foreign nationals in the past to stay in Kerry,” he said.
“I’m upset over this and I fear for Killarney and what might happen. I want them away from Killarney and away from the nearby school,” he added.
Meanwhile, Deputy Danny Healy-Rae said he has sought a guarantee from the Department for Justice that the refugees at Linden House have all been Garda vetted as part of their application on arrival in Ireland.
“Myself and many locals have been concerned about the Garda vetting issue in this case but I have been assured that these refugees have gone through this process,” he added.
THEY’RE OUT OF THEIR MINDS DRINKING COFFEE SINCE THEY ARRIVED.