The Immigrant Council of Ireland is concerned for the safety of asylum seekers following the attack on a makeshift camp in Dublin last weekend, its Chief Executive has said.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Brian Killoran said he is "very worried" about the safety of people seeking asylum after the incident.
He also warned that gardaí and other authorities must focus and challenge those on the far right, as he appealed to local communities to dismiss these groups and their misinformation.
"They are purely opportunistic, they are bent on violence, they can carry out violence.
"They are dangerous and are a threat to social cohesion in Ireland, much more so than any migrant or international protection applicant is.
"They are learning from international far-right movements. They are using the same tactics, the same misinformation."
Better communication and proper infrastructure are needed to avoid protests and "tension points" over the housing of asylum seekers, Mr Killoran said.
Communication should come from "the top down," he said, alongside growth "from the grassroots".
"[You need to] support communities, resource them, give them the power to do what they are doing now on a daily basis but do it in a more structured basis.
"We have to pull the trigger on it now so that we can build the capacity over the coming months to avoid these tension points and avoid protests."
He said there have been proposals about having officials at local and regional level who are "empowered" to engage with local communities to receive people in.
"We have heard repeatedly from the Department of the Taoiseach that they are mulling over the options."
Volunteers and staff in local authorities are working every day to support people seeking asylum, he said, adding that they are doing "the silent work".
"Unfortunately, the tension points and the protests show a very different message which isn't actually reflective of what the actual approach of Irish society is and the attitudes of the Irish public.
"That is the weight we have behind us, the momentum we have behind us, but we need to build ourselves out of this reactive approach."
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Refugee accommodation can be in very rural, isolated places because of capacity issues, Mr Killoran said.
The current situation is not taking place under "normal circumstances", he said.
"It is happening on the back of a series of migration crises including Ukraine."
People in need of shelter are human beings and should not be blockaded, he added.
