Update: The Dept of Integration issued a statement to Gript subsequent to the publication of this article saying that, “Residents from the accommodation centre at River Lodge were relocated to another IPAS centre due to severe weather during the winter, and essential health and safety works are currently being carried out.The accommodation centre at River Lodge will welcome residents when works are complete.”
The Department of Integration has failed to answer questions about the current status of asylum accommodation in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow.
Gript has seen images of the inside of the site which appeared to show no signs of life other than the presence of a security guard.
John Larkin, who is a member of protest group, ‘Newtown Says No’ told Gript that the asylum seekers had not been seen in the local area for “weeks”.
Gript contacted the Department of Integration asking if the site is currently occupied, and if not, where the men who were housed there have been relocated to.
At the time of publication, we have not received a response and will update this article in due course should we receive one.
As Gript previously reported, River Lodge, Trudder, Newtownmountkenney was chosen as a location to house single male international protection applicants in military style tents last year.
Larkin told Gript that the decision to move asylum seekers into the village had caused an “awful divide” in the area and that he felt the move was “an incredible waste of money”.
He described the situation as a “lose lose” scenario saying that it has come at a “terrible cost” to the local community.
Larkin, who used to work for the Eastern Health Board (HSE) told Gript that he had campaigned to have River Lodge be given to the people of Newtownmountkennedy as a “health centre”.
He said that he had met former Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, to pursue the matter but that “nothing” was done.
Speaking of the men that were housed on the site he said, “I don’t see any of them around Newtown,” adding that he felt this had been the case since at least the time of storm Éowyn.
“It’s just a waste of money that could be used for the community,” he said.
Larkin said that locals had been told they “couldn’t do this or that” with the building “and yet they [the government] were able to bring in over 100 men and do lots of things against the will of the people.”
Addressing the Dept. of Integration’s lack of responsiveness to questions about the current status of the site he said, “nobody seems to be in control of the asylum situation in Ireland.”
Local opposition to the move sparked fierce resistance from members of the local community who camped outside the site for weeks before the Garda Public Order Unit was deployed to disperse the protest, leading to clashes and the arrest of at least five people.
On Wednesday, six men and one woman were sent forward for trial at Circuit Court level after being charged with violent disorder on the night of the 25th of April, 2024.
Gript journalists captured extensive footage of the events of that night where Gardaí alleged that they were attacked as part of a “relentless and prolonged” interaction with protestors.
Those protesting at the time claim that the Garda Public Order Unit charged at them “indiscriminately” discharging pepper spray and using batons against them.
At the time, the Dept. of Integration had said it intended to house approximately 160 male asylum seekers at the site which in bygone years was used as a respite facility for traveller children.
In recent days Gript has been told by residents of Newtownmountkennedy that they believe the site to now be vacant of asylum seekers.
As reported by the Irish Independent last November, the asylum seekers living in tented accommodation were moved to another tented site in Dundrum, Co Dublin, which the Department of Integration described as “better equipped to deal with the current weather conditions”.