Not enough resources in town to deal with influx of refugees, says Tipperary politician

There aren’t enough resources in Clonmel to deal with the influx of approximately 330 Ukrainian refugees who will be accommodated in 82 modular homes on HSE lands at the Heywood Road.

That’s according to local Councillor Richie Molloy.

He said that the Government needed to take this lack of resources into account, especially with approximately 100 asylum seekers to be also accommodated at Hearns Hotel in Clonmel’s town centre.

Cllr Molloy stressed that he wasn’t anti-Ukrainian but said that “before there was ever any war in Ukraine there were long waiting lists to see a GP or a dentist”.

Family carers had also raised concerns about the lack of school places for children with special needs, for example, said Cllr Molloy, who is a Carer Supports Manager with Family Carers Ireland.

He said that the Heywood Road site for the modular homes (which has been the scene of angry protests in recent months) wasn’t suitable.

“There’s a lot of unrest that there’s no proper consultation with the community, and at this stage it looks like it’s a fait accompli”.

Cllr Molloy was speaking after he attended an information session on the Heywood Road modular homes, which was held at the Talbot Hotel last week.

He described the event as “a box-ticking exercise”.

Cllr Molloy said he had raised his concerns with an official from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. While sympathetic, he said that the official had told him that it was the Government’s decision to build these homes on a HSE-owned site.

He said that an estimated 70 people had attended the information session throughout the evening.

Meanwhile, the Mayor of Clonmel, Michael Murphy, said he was deeply concerned about the town’s capacity to absorb so many refugees and there had been no impact assessment, particularly in relation to health and education facilities.

He said there needed to be a reset at national level and the meaningful involvement of local authorities and local authority members, because they knew where the challenges and opportunities were at a local level.

“The current strategy is demand-driven and that is wrong. We need to have regard for the absorption capacity of communities”.

Cllr Murphy said he was concerned that the numbers of people attending Clonmel’s GPs and national schools were already over capacity, and no additional resources had been provided by the Government.

The Mayor also said that communication about the arrival of refugees had been “disappointing, to say the least”.

He said it appeared as if the modular homes at the Heywood Road will be provided in August-September, but may not be ready for occupation until early next year. The contract for the homes is for three years, and he said he couldn't be told what would happen after three years.