Mayo call for 'defined national strategy on asylum seekers'

Elected representatives in Mayo are calling for a defined national strategy when it comes to the International Protection (‘asylum’) process.

In light of ongoing protests over a proposal to accommodate International Protection applicants in the Twin Trees Hotel in Ballina, members of the local Municipal District held a robust debate on the matter at their monthly meeting, held today in Ballina Civic Offices.

Councillor Annie May Reape said she wanted the message to go out to An Taoiseach Simon Harris, An Tánaiste Micheál Martin, and Minister Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O'Gorman that Mayo has done enough and a national strategy now needs to be defined.

“We're heading into the tourist season and we need all the hotels we have (for tourists). In fact we need more hotels here,” she said, adding that the secrecy surrounding the process is what people do not like.

When Councillor John O'Hara suggested Ballina has taken in a sufficient number of asylum seekers and said locals 'are getting outnumbered', the head of Ballina MD, Declan Turnbull, informed him that according to official statistics, Ballina has 407 asylum seekers (including those from Ukraine) while by way of contrast, Westport has 614 and Castlebar has 1,393.

Councillor O'Hara countered that Westport has many more hotels than Ballina, and over half the bedrooms in the local hotels have been taken over by asylum seekers.

“We have done our share,” he reasserted.

Councillor Mark Duffy said there is a lot of 'anger and frustration' locally, and he would share those feelings with regard to the lack of information from Minister O'Gorman's department.

When official confirmation came from the department last Thursday (April 11), it was signed 'Community Engagement Team'.

He said he quickly responded to ask what extra resources or additional funding was being provided for the community, and why was the email signed by the Community Engagement Team.

However, he got no reply since then.

“We have no input, oversight or engagement in this,” he complained.

Councillor Duffy said he recently had to deal with two homeless cases in town and the only emergency accommodation available at the time was in Ballinrobe.

Viewed through that lens, it was frustrating to have no emergency accommodation in town for some people but then to have some available for others.

Councillor Michael Loftus agreed that communication is 'non-existent' and he reminded officials that earlier this year, elected members had taken the decision to ask them to stop dealing with government officials on the asylum seeker issue until plans are in place for the provision of essential services (such as medical care, transportation, training and delivery schedules).

However, it was obvious the Mayo County Council officials had not abided by that instruction.

He pointed out that 23% of accommodation available in Mayo has been taken up by asylum seekers (from Ukraine and elsewhere) in comparison to 12% in other counties.

“That's way out of kilter with the rest of the country,” he added.

“We have taken our quota. We need to stop until the government has a strategy in place to deal with this.”

Councillor Jarlath Munnelly highlighted that Mayo County Council has no role in accommodating refugees.

The process is carried out directly between IPAS (International Protection Accommodation Services) and private landlords.

He added that he did not think any public representative should be spoken to the way his colleagues were during a protest at the Twin Trees Hotel on Friday evening last.

More empathy and respect was necessary on both sides.

Continuing, Councillor Munnelly said he had a problem with using tourist accommodation to house refugees, as there was a danger of killing the tourism industry locally.

In addition, he pointed out that the government had recently signalled it intended to move away from that method of housing asylum seekers, and would instead seek to buy property itself.

Councillor Munnelly said the government should engage and communicate directly with communities.

“I don't know what they are afraid of.”

He proposed writing a letter to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and IPAS to indicate that they do not support the method of hotels being used to accommodate asylum seekers.

“It's probably all we can do on this issue,” he concluded.

The cathaoirleach of Ballina MD, Councillor Seamus Weir, said they definitely would write the letter, but he didn't think it would do any good.

Director of services Tom Gilligan said he viewed the videos online from last Friday's protest and in his view, local councillors were not being 'grilled' but 'bullied'.

“No one should be subjected to that,” he said. “There was no respect shown there. Councillors were spoken to in a way that was wrong.”

With regard to the remarks in the council chamber, he agreed with Councillor Munnelly that Mayo County Council has a very limited role in relation to the accommodation of refugees.

Negotiations are held and contracts signed between property owners and the department.

Mr. Gilligan highlighted that Ireland has suffered a housing and homelessness crisis since long before refugees arrived, and it wasn't right to link the two.

“It is wrong to even suggest that or bring it up in the conversation.”

He added that Ballina and Mayo are very welcoming, and it would be wrong to blame refugees for issues in relation to housing issues that have existed for a long time.

“We have to implement government policy, and that is what we will do,” he concluded.