Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews has accused Independent Ireland’s Ciarán Mullooly of engaging in “dangerous” and “really toxic politics”, while Mullooly accused Andrews’ Government of having “learned nothing” on the issue of immigration, as the two MEPs exchanged verbal blows over a proposed asylum centre in Athlone last night.
The debate took place on Virgin Media’s ‘The Tonight Show’ on Thursday evening, as the panel was discussing a proposed expansion to the asylum centre in Lissywollen, Athlone, Co. Westmeath. The full show can be viewed here.
Notably, the Lissywollen asylum centre in question has existed since the year 2000, and for the duration of that period has accommodated family units. However, plans are now underway to expand it significantly to accommodate for up to 1,000 additional residents, who are reported to be single adult males.
“THEY’RE STILL BRINGING IN 1,000 PEOPLE, WITH NO CONSULTATION WHATSOEVER”
Remarking on this situation, Mullooly said there had been “no consultation whatsoever” with locals and that “it’s not going to happen.”
“Tomorrow in the Irish Times I gather there’s a notice being served by the Municipal District Council in Athlone telling our government that you cannot put a thousand people into mobile homes in the middle of our town of Athlone,” he said.
“This is still happening, despite the government’s talk since last May and June of changing things, about bringing forward new solutions, bringing forward new staff…They’re still bringing in 1,000 people, with no consultation whatsoever.”
“IPAS HAVE DECIDED TO BRING IN 1,000 SINGLE MALES TO LIVE IN THAT AREA – IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN”
At this point panel moderator Gavan Reilly put it Mullooly that the government was not “bringing people in,” but that people were coming to Ireland, and the Government was then simply trying to find somewhere to put them.
“This is the irony about it: they’re bringing them into a reception centre, where we had refugees living peacefully and in family-type arrangements for the last 20 years,” Mullooly continued.
“And this government and IPAS have decided to bring in 1,000 single males to live in that area. It’s not going to happen, and it’s not going to be allowed to happen.”
He added: “The consultation hasn’t happened, and tomorrow we’re going to see a legal move supported by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens in the Athlone municipal district council to try and stop it.”
“OUR GOVERNMENT HAVE LEARNED NOTHING”
Asked why there was such opposition to expanding this asylum centre if refugees had already been living there for 20 years with no issues, Mullooly said it was an issue of “structure.” He said that previously there were families who had come from genuine war zones, and that one of the teenagers from the centre was in university with Mullooly’s own son.
“It’s a structure that worked,” he said.
“It was a family structure – not 1,000 men arriving overnight with 24 hours notice to move in. Our government have learned nothing with regards to consultation.”
“THE FACILITIES ARE NOT THERE – SIMPLE AS”
Asked by Gavan Reilly why adult males moving into an area was a problem, Mullooly said it was an issue of facilities.
“When’s the last time you went to try and get the bus service in Athlone?” he said.
“Tried to get a doctor, tried to get a GP, tried to get a school locally? The facilities are not there – simple as.
“You asked me about solutions, right? We were promised by this government we were going to see solutions. We were going to see a new Taoiseach, with a new brand, who was going to be listening to the people who are going to vote very shortly. He hasn’t been listening in Athlone. I spoke to a local Councillor tonight, Paul Hogan, who told me we’re united on this: Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens are not putting up with it.”
ANDREWS ACCUSES MULLOOLY OF IMPLYING THAT “SINGLE MALES ARE LIKELY TO COMMIT CRIME”
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews called out Mullooly for his “single males” remarks.
“Let’s be clear about it,” he said.
“When you say ‘single males’, you are pushing a button to send a message that males on their own are somehow less entitled to apply for asylum than any other people. And that’s not right.”
He added: “You’re also pushing a button where you’re saying that single males are likely to commit crime.”
“NO EVIDENCE” THAT AN INCREASE IN ASYLUM SEEKERS LEADS TO MORE CRIME
Andrews said there was “no evidence” that asylum seekers led to an increase in crime.
“There is no evidence from the Gardaí that there is a correlation between the arrival of asylum seekers into any place, and an increase in the incidence of crime – that is just an absolute statement of fact by the Gardaí,” he said.
GOVERNMENT “HAS TO IMPROVE” CONSULTATION
He further said that Mullooly was “right about consultation.”
“We have to improve the work we do as a government with local communities,” he said.
“DANGEROUS, REALLY TOXIC POLITICS”
“But you’re not right to push buttons here carelessly – I would say carelessly, not deliberately – that are tending to categorise those who are legitimately seeking asylum, whatever their gender, into certain boxes in the public’s mind.”
He added: “That’s dangerous, and it is really toxic politics.”
“IT’S THE WRONG WAY TO GO ABOUT IT”
Mullooly shot back that the policy would not lead to “integration”.
“Bringing in 1,000 men to live in a reception centre where there are approximately 270 families of mothers, fathers and kids? This is not integration,” he said.
“It’s the wrong way to go about it, and by the way, it leads to people on the far-right coming in, and creating the sort of stuff that Barry’s talking about.”
BOTH MULLOOLY AND ANDREWS RECENTLY VOTED AGAINST AMENDMENT ON OFFSHORE ASYLUM RETURN HUBS OUTSIDE THE EU
Notably, during a recent European Parliament vote on October 23rd 2024, both Mullooly and Andrews (who are part of the same European Parliament grouping, Renew) each voted against an amendment that would seek to “look into offshoring parts of the EU migration policy” and which “calls on the institutions to explore the idea of developing return hubs outside the Union, and, if necessary, to dedicate appropriate funding to the project.”
In other words, Mullooly and Andrews both opposed the idea of outsourcing elements of the EU’s migration policy to non-EU countries, including setting up external hubs for processing and returning migrants, and refrained from supporting the allocation of EU funds for such projects.