Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that he did not believe that it was necessary for protesters to block access to a hotel that is being used to house asylum seekers in Co Clare.
He was speaking as protesters blocked road access to the hotel in the townland of Inch, about eight kilometres from Ennis.
Yesterday evening, 33 asylum seekers arrived by bus at Magowna House hotel.
After the asylum seekers' arrival, local people blocked both ends of the hotel road with tractors and silage bales.
The former hotel and restaurant has been closed since 2019.
Locals said there had been no consultation with them and that the property and the location was unsuitable to house asylum seekers.
It was deemed unsuitable last year for asylum seeker accommodation because of fire and sewage issues.
The tractors have since been removed at the entrance to the hotel and the road leading to it, however access remains restricted with traffic cones and bales on the road.
"I don't think the blockade is necessary. What we do need is engagement with the community," Mr Varadkar said, noting that Minister for Equality and Integration Roderic O'Gorman was going to hold a video conference with representatives in Inch tomorrow.
Speaking from Reykjavík in Iceland, Mr Varadkar said that Ireland was facing an "unprecedented situation".
He said: "Nearly 100,000 people from other parts of the world, mainly Ukraine, have come to Ireland seeking refuge, seeking shelter. And we have to provide for them whatever accommodation is available. And it isn't always going to be perfect but is the best we can do."
"I know that huge numbers of communities have welcomed people into their communities, including in Co Clare. And there will of course be engagement with local reps tomorrow."
Locals are maintaining their blockade tonight at the rural road leading to the hotel, despite considerable talks lasting several hours where the parties made some progress.
Fianna Fáil Senator Timmy Dooley said there was good engagement and the local community want to find a resolution and to get to a situation where blockades of any type will not be necessary, but further discussions are needed.
Video call talks are due to take place tomorrow morning between Clare Oireachtas members and Minister for Integration Roderick O'Gorman to see if any assurances can be given to assuage local concerns further.
There was considerable discussions over several hours this evening and tonight between the local commuity, Senator Dooley and the operator of the premises, and while there was some progress, opposition and protests and blocking of access to the road leading to the Magowna hotel remain.
Senator Dooley said tonight that there was good engagement between all the groups and good will was shown by the local community who he said were anxious to find a resolution which will take away the necessity for them to continue their protests.
"There has been very significant discussions and some progress has been made," he said.
"There's a little bit more to go. The community want to show that they want to work with the people here, they want to work with the operator.
"This was unexpected from their situation so they are coming to terms with what has happened.
"There has been good engagement and I think there is a recognition by the community they want to find a resolution here. They do not want to be blockading or protesting or any of that.
"I'd be hopeful over the next 24 hours we can find a solution that will meet the initial needs of the community and I think if the operator continues to work with the local community we will find a resolution to this difficult situation."
Mr Varadkar acknowledged that, while in the vast majority of cases those seeking refuge have been accepted into local communities, in some cases such engagement has not gone well.
Some of the asylum seekers, frustrated by the ongoing situation, left earlier. Others left to walk into Ennis but said they planned to return. The group are from Algeria, Afghanistan and other locations.
Representatives of Clare Immigrant Support attended the hotel today to assist the men with their social welfare, education and other needs.
Eimear O'Connor who manages the support group, but who has no role in trying to sort the local opposition, said that whatever the shortcomings of the premises, the accommodation at the Magowna House hotel is certainly better than at Citywest in Dublin, or at the tents being used at the direct provision centre at Knockalisheen.
Govt to 'ease' concerns - Tánaiste
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said the Government and local authorities will be engaging with the local community in Co Clare to "ease" any concerns they may have over the housing of asylum seekers.
Local people have said they are angry because there was no consultation prior to the arrival of the men last night, and that they were given assurances by Clare County Council that the location would not be occupied while outstanding matters were being sorted out.
Speaking earlier today, Mr Martin said: "I would ask that that level of engagement and cooperation will take place and that there is no need for the blockades."
He said Ireland and Co Clare have been "strong" in facilitating refugees and asylum seekers.
"I think dignity and the human being always has to be centre in our minds when situations like this arise.
"We have to work hard on the communication side of it, in terms of engagement and in terms of clarifying and dealing with any issues or concerns that people may have," he said.
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Locals meet with Clare County Council
Last Friday, news broke in Inch that Magowna House was likely to be used as an emergency accommodation centre and a public meeting was held in nearby Kilmaley where there was clear opposition to the move.
Local people had known that Magowna House had been earmarked as a location for emergency accommodation, but were not expecting any asylum seekers to arrive last night.
They have said that they are going to maintain the protest until they "get answers" as to why the hotel is being used for emergency accommodation and also why they were not consulted about the decision.
A delegation of local people and politicians met at Clare County Council in Ennis to address their concerns today.
Locals who attended the meeting said there was no resolution to the local difficulties. The council outlined their intention to integrate the newly arrived asylum seekers and locals reiterated their opposition as they say there was a lack of consultation and the location is unsuitable.
In a statement, the council said it "welcomed the engagement from the community and will liaise with agencies to provide the wraparound services" including transport, health, education, and immigrant support services.
The statement continued: "We have also committed to keeping local councillors and community members involved in the response."
Local man Cathal Nagle who attended the meeting said it is eight kilometres to Ennis and the first footpath anyone meets is six kilometres down the road.
Maria Kerin Walsh, an artist from Bell Harbour in north Clare, arrived earlier to bring cake and brownies to the asylum seekers and welcome them.
She said she was shocked when she heard of the events unfolding there and the local reaction and she wanted to welcome the asylum seekers and appeal for understanding from the local community to understand the plight of asylum seekers and other human beings facing difficult war situations.
One of the asylum seekers Sultan Mahommad who is from Afghanistan and who has been staying in the Citywest accommodation for the past five months, said he and the other men were happy to be in Co Clare and happy to stay there. They were troubled by the protest, but they wanted to stay, he said.
Call to 'deescalate the situation'
Senator Dooley has described the blocking of access to the hotel as complex, but that it is a difficult situation for all sides.
He said: "There is a need to deescalate the situation, get all sides talking and try to get information to people."
Mr Dooley said that the community would appreciate officials from the department coming to Clare to speak to them.
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, he said that for the asylum seekers, it is traumatic to be placed in an isolated location like Inch but that the local people who have fears and concerns should be listened to, some which are justified and they "rightly are expressing them".
Independent TD for Clare Violet Anne Wynne has said that she wrote to the minister asking him to come down and look at the hotel accommodation in Clare where a blockade is in place.
Speaking on the same programme, she added that Inch locals are hurt and in shock over the mishandling of the whole situation, and "it’s absolutely unnecessary".
Last year, the council ruled that Magowna House was not suitable to accommodate Ukrainian asylum seekers.
Local authorities have no role when it comes to housing International Protection Applicants.
The Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Integration has appealed to protesters to end their protest.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Joe O'Brien said the International Protection Applicants who arrived in Co Clare have not been moved to the hotel but to three external holiday homes.
Mr O'Brien said it was was never the intention to put people into the hotel.
It comes as 50 recently arrived asylum seekers who had no State provided accommodation have been offered places in the last 24 hours.
The latest figures released this evening also show that 17 new asylum seekers were not offered any accommodation when they presented at the International Protection Office today.
According to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth figures there are currently 487 without State provided accommodation, down 33 since yesterday.
Since 24 January, the total number of asylum seekers initially told there was no place for them to stay, but who were subsequently offered a bed now stands at 678.
