Independent TD Michael Lowry has accused the Government of having no policy or plan for sourcing accommodation for asylum seekers and has said the country is “making it up as we go along”
Protests have been staged at a hotel in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, which is set to house 160 international protection applicants in Racket Hall on the Dublin Road.
Mr Lowry, a TD for Tipperary who frequently supports the Government in key votes such as confidence motions, said the town of Roscrea is “overburdened”.
Asked if the matter was serious enough for him to retract his support, he said: “All I can say is that I am not impressed with how the Government are performing. I don’t think they understand that this is chaotic and it is going to get worse.” He said he would consider his support for Government on an “issue by issue basis”.
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“I raised this four times in the Dáil already because this has been brewing in Roscrea for some time. Hundreds of asylum seekers were put in the Sean Ross Abbey site. They did a complete overhaul and it is literally bulging with asylum seekers, it is full. On top of that we had 400 Ukrainians relocated to Roscrea,” he said, referencing the former Sacred Heart Convent site.
“Roscrea is overburdened, all of the facilities are stretched to the limit. You can’t get a doctor. Limerick Hospital is in the Roscrea catchment area, and there is a waiting list to get access to services. It is the same with schools, you can’t find a teacher in the country. Schools in Roscrea are under enormous pressure. You can’t just spring up additional classrooms overnight,” Mr Lowry said.
“Overall what has happened is a transformation of the local community. This lodgement of another 160 asylum seekers is a step too far. It is too much. The people of Roscrea are saying enough is enough. The people of Roscrea have been very welcoming and supportive but everyone is overwhelmed.”
A protest is due to take place on Saturday afternoon in Roscrea town centre.
Speaking on Friday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the opposition and protests in Roscrea were “disappointing”.
“Whether people are single, married, or have families or not they need to be accommodated somewhere,” he said.
“I know in a number of cases where a decision was taken to prioritise families the protests have ended. What we need to do now in Roscrea is engage with the local community,” he said.
Mr Varadkar said he acknowledged that the town had already welcomed “a lot of people” from abroad who were seeking protection. “What we’ll do now through our community engagement teams is to engage with the local community and try to give them any reassurances that they may need,” he said.
Meanwhile, the number of international protection applicants awaiting State accommodation is now 569, according to the latest figures from the Department of Integration.
Since December 4th, a total of 720 new arrivals have presented seeking accommodation.
Accommodation was offered to 82 applicants after an “availability and vulnerability triage”. The Department said 638 international protection applicants received a contingency payment in lieu of accommodation while 69 people were subsequently offered accommodation.
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