An Enniscorthy Councillor has said that he was contacted by concerned parents who said they would consider pulling their daughters from a secondary school in the town if a proposed IPAS centre across the road went ahead.
Some 2,000 people have already signed a petition opposing the establishment of the centre, and a public march is planned for Enniscorthy this Saturday, Independent Councillor Paddy Kavanagh said.
The building, a former convent in Templeshannon – an area described as having issues of “deprivation” in this week’s Wexford County Council meeting – is located between a church and a community center in Enniscorthy, while a crèche is next door. Offices had been proposed for the site, but planning permission was previously turned down by the Council.
Planning permission is not required for asylum accommodation under an amendment to the Planning and Development Acts 2000, passed by the last government for that purpose.
Speaking to South East Radio, Independent Alliance Councillor Paddy Kavanagh said:
“There’s grave concern in the area. I’ve had a lot of contact from people in the area. There’s a crèche right beside us. There’s a girl secondary school across the road from us, and I’ve had concerned parents who have said that they’re going to consider pulling their children out of school if it goes ahead.”
“Now and I hasten to add that they have no problem with Ukrainian families that are living in the nursing home in the area. There’s husbands, wives, children, they’re engaged in the area, they’re working locally. I do know that in the space of two days, there’s been over 2,000 signatures collected in objection to this IPAS centre,” he said.
However, when Cllr Kavanagh brought the matter to the Wexford County Council meeting, he was accused of making “disgusting” and “disgraceful” comments by others councillors – including Sinn Féin’s Tom Forde and Labour’s Biddy Walsh.
The Wexford People reports that Cllr Kavanagh told the Council meeting that it was inappropriate to house international protection applicants in the disused convent building “which is in close proximity to a girls’ secondary school and a crèche” – adding “that locals were in fear of an influx of ‘single male refugees’.”
The owner of vacant properties in Templeshannon himself, he suggested that the area was in need of redevelopment and that an IPAS (International Protection Accommodation Service) centre would be counter-productive to this goal.
“I’ve had a lot of phone calls on this to put it mildly,” he said. “There’s a petition circulating among locals which has had over 2,000 signatures since Friday.
“This is a building that is opposite a girl’s secondary school and beside a creche,” he continued, referring to Coláiste Bríde secondary school. “I know of parents of girls who attend that secondary school who are considering withdrawing them if this goes ahead.”
In addition, Cllr Kavanagh said:
“There’s a number of Ukrainian refugees housed in the nursing home up the street,” he said. “There’s no issue with the people there and there’d be no issue with people similar to them.
“The issue is that there may be a big number of single, male refugees coming into the Shannon. People don’t want it.”
As Cllr Kavanagh was speaking Labour councillor Biddy Walsh described his remarks as “a terrible thing to say”, while Independent councillor Leonard Kelly described Kavanagh’s claims as “nonsense”.
In addition, Sinn Féin’s Tom Forde said that he was “very disappointed to hear a councillor outline concerns that a centre would be located next to a girl’s school”.
“The language that we’re hearing and expressions like ‘military aged men’ and the ‘plantation’ of Ireland. It’s disgusting to be honest,” Cllr Forde added. Aontú’s Jim Codd said that there was a “dangerous narrative” going out there, adding “It gets very serious when you’re reading comments from people about setting fire to buildings. Perhaps those big brave boys at home on their computers need to be paid a visit by the gardaí.”
However, Cllr Barbara Murphy also opposed the IPAS centre plans saying: “I think this is wrong and it would be an intensification of the deprivation that already exists there.”
Speaking to Gript, Cllr Kavanagh said that he had “never used phrases like ‘military men'” and said that “the reaction of some of the councillors in the chamber to what I said was over the top”.
“I was a bit taken aback as I was relaying what my constituents had told me,” Cllr Kavanagh told Gript. “There may be a bit of grandstanding going on, but I’m here to represent my voters and the local people.”
“Most of those tut-tutting about this were from Wexford town – they might be saying otherwise if the IPAS centre was proposed for their areas,” he added. “99% of comments that I see online are supporting opposition to the proposed IPAS centre. People have a right to be concerned.”
“Parents in my electoral area have children attending the school – and they have approached me with their concerns,” he said.
“The east side of the town has been neglected – a million euro was allocated n 2017 for the Templeshannon area but no obvious benefits can be seen from that allocation,” he said. In some ways, Enniscorthy is now the forgotten town in Wexford. None of the Wexford TDs have spoken about this proposed IPAS centre yet,” he added.
He pointed out that a disused nursing home in Templeshannon had formerly welcomed Ukrainian refugees.
The Enniscorthy Guardian previously reported that plans were submitted to Wexford County Council by Ian Skeffington to develop the IPAS centre at the former convent.
Mr Skeffington made the application on behalf of his company Flodale Group Ltd on Monday, January 20, the paper said, a development confirmed by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, who said that no decision has been made, but that the site is being considered.