Travellers protest at proposed refugee site
Fifteen families from the travelling community have protested in Athlone this afternoon at a decision to locate special accommodation for refugees adjacent to a local halting site. Travellers from the Black Berry Lane halting site say they were not consulted about proposals to move in 100 mobile homes which will accommodate refugees on a 15 acre site beside their home.
A spokesperson for the travellers, Teresa Joyce, said that many families had been waiting for up to 12 years for proper living accommodation to be provided with toilets and running water on the Athlone site, yet an overnight decision by the government was going to give new homes to 100 refugee families. Mrs Joyce stressed that the travelling community had nothing against refugees but were angry at the authorities' double standards.
Gardaí in Athlone say they were called to the scene by workers clearing the site for mobile homes at lunch time after travellers and other local residents staged a protest over the lack of consultation on a decision to locate accommodation for refugees in the area.
