Minister Roderic O’Gorman has been accused of “naive optimism” after giving what a TD has described as an “unsatisfactory response” to a question asking what steps were taken to protect the safety of staff in a hotel housing migrants where a violent stabbing incident had broken out.
Carol Nolan, Independent TD for Laois Offaly had asked the Minister for Integration what steps were being taken by his department to ensure the safety and security of residents and staff in Hotel Killarney after 4 people required hospitalisation after a violent row broke out.
Following the stabbings in the hotel, some staff said they were concerned for their safety and would not enter the direct provision hotel.
In reply to Deputy Nolan, the Minister said it was a serious “isolated incident” and that he had engaged with the Minister for Justice to ensure “measures will be taken to ensure the safety and security of the residents and staff. This remains a priority in the short to medium term.”
However, Carol Nolan was critical of the response saying that the reply had failed to specify what measures were being taken.
Minister O’Gorman “fails to provide assurances that he is even remotely aware of the potential for incidents such as those that took place in Killarney to become more widespread. Staff and residents at every DP Centre deserve better than this naive optimism,” she said.
Garda vehicles and up to five ambulances were called to the large hotel on New Year’s Day, which is accomodating hundreds of migrants, and eight men have been charged with violent disorder.
At the time, the Mayor of Killarney, Niall Kelleher, described the attacks as “shocking” and called for action from Minister O’Gorman.
“We raised concerns at the time in relation to the volume of applicants in one location and it was mentioned at the time that there would be 400 single men, which was obviously of a concern in relation to the different nationalities as there would be tensions and those tensions have turned into the shocking reports,” he said.
“People of Killarney are justifiably angry and concerned in relation to the reports we’ve heard last night,” he added.
The issue of staff and resident safety continues to be a live issue, as Gardai also attended what was described as a “full-scale riot” in the Citywest Hotel this week, with footage showing dozens of Garda and Emergency Services vehicles at the scene. At least two people were hospitalised.
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