Killarney will have to face the reality of whether it is going to continue as a major tourist centre or become a direct provision and refugee centre because of the numbers now in tourist accommodation, a council meeting has been told.
With a population of 10,360, Killarney is now accommodating 3,200 refugees and asylum seekers, the Killarney Municipal Meeting was told.
The meeting heard that the goodwill that was in Killarney earlier towards refugees was no longer there because of the numbers arriving and the pressure on health, education and other services as well as fears for the future of the town's main industry - tourism.
"Is Killarney next March going to be a major tourist destination or a direct provision centre? Big accommodation providers in Killarney are going to have to be asked that question," Independent councillor and former mayor of Killarney Brendan Cronin said.
He wondered what was "the prediction" for the refugees in March and April and if the hotels and guesthouses were going "to put them out".
"Serious questions have to be asked of two sectors - the Government and our own business sector," Cllr Cronin said.
His comments were supported by former senator and Labour councillor Marie Moloney who said the businesspeople bringing in Ukrainians to a town with no services for them "should be questioned".
These businesspeople were in the same trade as the rest of the town but were destroying tourism, she said.
"The fact is they [GPs] just don't have room. The schools don’t have room," she said.
Councillors were getting "earfuls" from the public and the goodwill that was in Killarney in March and April has changed, she said.
Cllr Maura Healy-Rae said it was nearly impossible to get tourist accommodation in Killarney at weekends.
"This is affecting our municipal district more than any other area," she said.
Mayor of Killarney, Cllr Niall Kelleher, commended the "dignified and reasonable" discussion at the meeting.
KASI, the long-established organisation to assist asylum seekers and refugees, was overwhelmed and was "at a tipping point" because of the numbers, the mayor said.
