BIG READ: Protests at the gates of Tipperary hotel 'for over eight weeks now'

Independent Cllr Liam Browne has claimed that the admission last week in the Dáil by Roderic O'Gorman that Dundrum House was to be used to house hundreds of asylum seekers, makes a mockery of claims made by An Taoiseach Simon Harris barely six weeks ago, to RTE and other news outlets that, "dozens of hotels currently housing Ukrainian refugees, could return to public use". 

The admission was made in response to a question put to Minister O'Gorman by Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath.

Minister O'Gorman confirmed that a contract had been signed with the current owners of Dundrum House, which means that as the current Ukrainian refugees leave the West Tipperary hotel, they will be replaced by International Protection Applicants, and that the hotel will not return to public use as a tourism venue for the foreseeable future.

The hotel has been the subject of protests at the gate for over eight weeks now, and those at the protest feel that they have been betrayed by the words of the Taoiseach, who made his comments at the launch of Fine Gael’s local and European election campaigns in late May.

Cllr Browne, who has long been critical of the Governments policy in relation to the housing of both refugees and asylum seekers said that "it is completely reckless to expect that hundreds of IPAs be moved into a small rural community, without any local impact needs assessment taking place first".

"The numbers envisaged are more than double the population of the village, and no account has been taken of whether the local services that might be required to absorb such a large number currently exist, or are likely to be provided for in the near future.

"Basically, the Government are moving a problem from the streets of Dublin, into a small rural community. It’s not fair, it’s not right, and has already led to splits amongst what has long been a very tight knit community."

Cllr Browne also added, that "the policy makes a mockery of past statements by Minister O'Gorman himself. In January, when protests arose in Roscrea around the use of the Racket Hall Hotel, Minister O'Gorman said that his department would look into returning a closed down hotel in Roscrea, into use as a community hotel. That has never materialised".

"And while he was making those statements, his own department were most likely in discussion with the owners of Dundrum House, to create a similar situation.

"Local tourism in areas like Dundrum, need hotel spaces for tourists. We cannot simply pander to greedy hoteliers, who see the taxpayer as a cash cow. Other ancillary tourism businesses will suffer.

"Not long ago, Dundrum Golf course was being spoken of as a potential Irish Open course. Do people really think for example foreign golfers will want to play in what amounts to a refugee centre?"