A protest is continuing tonight outside the Racket Hall hotel on the outskirts of Roscrea, Co Tipperary, over its selection as a location to house 160 International Protection applicants.
Around 60 people have been protesting at the entrance to the hotel all day, opposing plans announced yesterday by the Department of Integration to house International Protection applicants at the hotel over the next year.
News emerged yesterday among local representatives and TDs who had been informed by the Department of Integration that Racket Hall was to provide temporary emergency accommodation for International Protection applicants for a year.
Those protesting say they have major concerns about a further influx of asylum seekers, as the towns services are at capacity, and is unable to take any additional applicants.
The convent in the town is housing up to 400 asylum seekers and the former Sean Ros Abbey is housing a further 200.
People who have gathered say "enough is enough" and that services in the town are stretched beyond capacity.
They say now their only hotel is being taken over to house asylum applicants.
They say they are not being racist or from any political grouping but are expressing their genuine fears and concerns about their communities being overwhelmed.
The group is being supported by the Roscrea Stand Up group, a broad-based community group which has done much work in the town on advocating for better mental health services and fighting drug-associated problems in the town.
Chairperson Derek Russell said they are having a further protest at the town square tomorrow to underline their opposition to accommodating larger volumes of asylum seekers.
He said Roscrea has already played it part in welcoming those seeking refuge and that it can do no more.
Tipperary Independent TD Michael Lowry said he is extremely annoyed at the development, saying the sheer scale of this latest development is overwhelming for the people of Roscrea.
Speaking on local radio, Mr Lowry said the numbers being brought into Roscrea are disproportionate to what the town can cope with, which is now stretched beyond capacity.
He has also criticised the Government over their lack of consultation. Mr Lowry said efforts up to now have been an imposition, not a consultation.
While he has supported the Government on many issues, Mr Lowry said he was extremely unhappy with the way it has handled the issue.
The Independent TD said it can no longer rely on his support on its current policy of dealing with housing people seeking accommodation in Ireland.
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime this evening, Mr Lowry said: "None of us knew what was happening, the workers in the hotel knew nothing before today about their positions, people who had bookings in the hotel, functions and events.
"Taking the hotel out of service in Roscrea is very bad for the local economy and community.
"People have been welcoming and extremely generous so far but people are saying these additional numbers, we do not have the capacity to cope."
Mr Lowry said the Government was not looking at the suitability of places for migrants, rather taking whatever is offered and not allowing for the surrounding infrastructure.
He said that there is a lack of coordination and planning amid very poor management.
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Speaking on RTÉ's News at One earlier, Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said he had "full respect" for Mr Lowry's position.
"What I would say to him and all public representatives is that 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 head," Mr Harris said.
"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, where we have a State-owned response to this."
Surprise
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime this evening, Tipperary TD Jackie Cahill from Fianna Fáil said the arrival of asylum seekers came as a surprise when he got a phone call from the Minister for Integration yesterday.
He said that he had explained the issues, such as pressures on GP services and education and that he and a local councillor would meet with the minister next week.
"The hotel has been allocated as an asylum centre for families seeking asylum in the country," Mr Cahill said.
"That is the situation and what we want to do now is to make sure that Roscrea has resources to cope with that."
