Mayo community calls for greater transparency on plans for refugee centre

Concern over plans to house Ukrainian refugees on the site of a former country house, which later served as a nursing home near Claremorris, has led to more than 200 local residents assembling to express their concerns.

The meeting was held at Crossboyne Church car park close to Castlemacgarrett where it is proposed to locate the refugees in modular housing.

Brief details of the plan were outlined by the Department of Integration during the week but the information supplied was scant on detail.

Local residents have expressed concern that asylum seekers may be among the intake and indeed that some may already be in situ in the extensive building located on the property.

Two elected members of Mayo County Council, Tom Connolly (Fine Gael) and Richard Finn (Independent), attended the rally and indicated they were supporting the community’s call for greater transparency on the issue.

The resettlement proposal is expected to be discussed at tomorrow’s (Monday) monthly meeting of Mayo County Council.

Paul Lawless, an Aontu representative in Mayo, who attended the rally, said afterwards the people of south Mayo have been incredibly welcoming towards welcoming refugees and other migrants into their community.

“I am utterly disappointed with this government in relation to the level of communication they are having with local communities about the housing of refugees/migrants.

“Local residents are being disregarded. They are being kept in the dark like mushrooms."