COUNTY Councillors at this week’s meeting of Shannon Municipal District slammed plans to house refugees in an industrial building at the Shannon Free Zone and also criticised the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) for the secrecy it has maintained around the plans.
The meeting also heard warnings that a lack of information can give an opportunity for misinformation to flourish, and give the far right an opening to exploit.
Following the criticism at Tuesday’s Shannon Municipal District meeting DCEDIY told the Clare Champion it has no option but to take advantage of any type of accommodation available, while it said there would be communication with local representatives before the facility does open.
At Tuesday’s meeting Sinn Féin’s Donna McGettigan said the Department’s decision not to make information available was leading to “all sorts of innuendo”.
She also said councillors have been called liars when they have said they don’t know what the plans for accommodation in Shannon are, even though they are also being left in the dark.
She claimed that elected representatives are being made irrelevant, while she said the Department has been “disrespectful to the people of Shannon.”
Fianna Fáil’s Pat O’Gorman also said councillors have been called liars, but they, along with Clare TDs and Senators, have been completely left in the dark.
He said that right wing protestors could take advantage of the Department’s silence. – “There are people out there who will fill the vaccum,” he warned.
Referring to Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O’Gorman, he said, “It is time for him to get his head out of whereever it is stuck and tell the people of Shannon what is planned.”
Independent Gerry Flynn said that housing people in an industrial estate is “disgusting”, while he also slammed the secrecy around the plans. He said that while he had no issue with taking in people who are fleeing war, there is a responsibility to look after them well, and he said he does not support an open door policy. Councillor Flynn said that the current policy is making it harder to to provide for local people who become homeless through no fault of their own.
Independent PJ Ryan said it was important the message go out that housing people in an industrial estate is inappropriate.
While DCEDIY has been very reluctant to provide any information about its Shannon plans, it did release a statement to the Clare Champion following the criticism it received on Tuesday.
DCEDIY claimed there has been a huge amount of people coming to the country over the last year.
“The accommodation of international protection applicants (IPAs) is a demand-led process with applicants arriving in the country and seeking accommodation spontaneously.
“In 2022, over 15,000 IPAs arrived in Ireland, the largest number of arrivals accommodated since records began. For context, the average arrival figure for IP applicants for the period from 2017 to 2019 was 3,500.
“As at January 9, 2023, there are over 19,400 people accommodated in International Protection Application Services (IPAS) accommodation centres. This compares with 7,250 people accommodated at the same time last year.
“Emergency centres have been opened in all parts of the country. There have been over 60 accommodation locations utilised since January across 17 counties. Since 24 February 2022, the Department has worked to accommodate an unprecedented volume of persons seeking refuge from the invasion of Ukraine, amounting to almost 55,000 people.
“The pressure to accommodate almost 70,000 people in such a short period of time has led to significant shortages, particularly for the international protection cohort. Access to suitable accommodation is severely constrained.”
It said the high level of demand is set to continue and it has no option but to use any premises it can.
“The number of IPAs and Ukrainian Benificaries of Temporary Protection arriving in Ireland is expected to remain at elevated levels for the foreseeable future. The Department has been forced to avail of all offers of accommodation made, including the use of office buildings and tented accommodation, to address the shortfall.
“While the Department is aware that these types of accommodation are less than ideal it is working hard to find solutions, through the use of facilities management companies in some cases, to offer emergency food, shelter and sanitation provision to both cohorts.
“As indicated in the media, The Office of Public Works (OPW) has offered the specified building (Unit 153 in the Shannon Business Park) to provide emergency accommodation for those seeking refuge in Ireland.
“The International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS) is currently working with OPW to develop proposals/designs to use this state-owned property to accommodate international protection applicants.
“The engagement is ongoing and no contract has yet been signed nor has a facilities management company been awarded a contract to run this facility.”
It said that in time more details would be made available.
“The Department cannot comment on specific plans for accommodation pending the agreement of rates, terms and contracts with providers as this is commercially sensitive information.
“Before the opening of any facility the Department engages with local representatives to provide information as soon as possible following the agreement of terms with contractors.”
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.