Clonmel TD Mattie McGrath has told the Dáil that people in Tipperary “feel betrayed” over plans to house asylum seekers at a number of sites in the county.
The Tipperary Independent told Taoiseach Simon Harris on Tuesday afternoon that there had been “no proper engagement with communities” over the plans.
It comes as protests continued today at Heywood Road on the edge of Clonmel, where 82 modular units of housing for Ukrainian refugees are set to be installed.
Despite heated ongoing protests at the site in recent weeks, after plans were finalised by the Department of Integration and the Office of Public Works for the site, work resumed this morning at the site.
Protestors have been present at the HSE owned site adjacent to Heywood Road for a number of weeks, blocking construction vehicles from entering the site.
Video footage posted online today appeared to show gardai physically removing protestors from the site, sparking fury online. Garda have been contacted for comment.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) is leading the delivery of the modular homes on behalf of the government, with works set to progress on the site over the coming months with a view to site completion by the end of 2024 or early 2025.
Deputy Mattie McGrath previously told Gript that the 82 modular units are being erected without planning permission, sparking anger from locals.
Elsewhere in the county, it was announced last week that a number of families living in IPAS accommodation in Borrisokane in Tipperary were set to be evicted.
Speaking in the Dáil today, he said: “The people of Tipperary were very welcoming to Ukrainian refugees […] but now the situation, with them being moved out of places like Rathcabbin and Borrisokane – which was a model – indeed Dundrum House Hotel now, as well as what happened in Roscrea and at the Heywood Road site, with ongoing activity there today, there is no real cohesive plan. And no proper engagement with communities.”
“I’m grappling myself to deal with the engagement section of the Department, and they’re totally understaffed and under resourced, and there’s no proper cohesion of engagement.”
“People feel betrayed. Dundrum House Hotel had 250 – there’s now 52 going out, and 52 IPAS people coming in… it’s causing confusion. There needs to be a cohesive plan, and proper engagement, timely engagement – and not cloak and dagger. It’s a very very serious and concerning situation.”
Responding, the Taoiseach said he had heard the concerns of people in the Tipperary town of Borrisokane, who he said had been “very welcoming and very helpful in responding to the humanitarian crisis.”