Protest at Roscrea, Co Tipperary, hotel over plans to house 160 asylum seekers

Protesters at a hotel in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, which is set to house 160 international protection applicants, said on Thursday evening that they would continue their demonstration throughout the night in an attempt to stop the arrival of asylum seekers.

Roscrea’s only operating hotel, Racket Hall, will see its 40 rooms repurposed to accommodate asylum seekers from Friday.

In a briefing note issued to local public representatives, the Department of Integration said 160 beds will be provided for international protection applicants in Racket Hall Accommodation on the Dublin Road.

Protesters mounted their demonstration within hours of the decision being announced. They said they will attempt to block vehicles carrying international protection applicants from entering the hotel car park. Gardaí attended the scene.

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Over 200 people at a public meeting at the site heard speeches from concerned residents. Roscrea-based councillor Shane Lee said that local elected representatives had heard of the decision on Thursday afternoon via a briefing note from the Department of Integration and Equality.

Local community activist group Roscrea Stands Up voiced concern that the hotel has been “closed to the people of Roscrea and surrounding areas”.

“We have no active hotel now in Roscrea for weddings, parties, dinner dances,” they said.

Protesters are also planning a march through the streets of the town on Saturday next.

The capacity at the facility is for 160 people in 40 rooms, and the accommodation will be for families of asylum seekers. The contract with the centre has been signed for a period of one year.

The department said it was not possible to say with certainty what the length of stay would be due to the high number of asylum seekers arriving in Ireland and the scarcity of alternative accommodation options.

According to the briefing note, the property consists of a “large refurbished four-star hotel accommodation” with amenities and “ample community recreational space on site”. It will have high speed wifi.

There will be a self-catering service provided on site, while residents will also be provided with a weekly voucher or debit card for a local shop. A transport service has been established and will be supplemented by the provider.

The property is owned and operated by Swiftcastle Roscrea Ltd and staff will be on-site 24 hours a day. Staff numbers will be increased as and when resident numbers increase on site.

A minimum of two members of staff will be present at all times and CCTV is in place. There will be a general manager, assistant manager, eight daytime staff, two translators, four night-time security, bus drivers, and maintenance staff, the briefing note says.

Asylum seekers may avail of English language classes through their local Education and Training Board, medical cards and an adult resident receives an allowance of €38.80 per week.

Asylum seekers are not entitled to apply for or avail of social housing or the Housing Assistance Payment while their claim for asylum is being determined by the International Protection Office.

The department said it is currently providing 26,279 asylum seekers with State-sourced accommodation and support services.

In addition to that, since February 2022, it is also providing accommodation to 75,026 people who have fled the war in Ukraine, resulting in more than 101,300 people staying in State-provided or pledged accommodation in Ireland.

In the last six months there has been an average of 560 people seeking accommodation every week.

“Given the scale and urgency of the operation to source accommodation for new arrivals, manage and process them appropriately, and transfer and settle them into their new homes and communities, there has been a requirement to act at pace, with developments often happening at very short notice,” the department said.

“We are working to improve how new accommodation is sourced, and how these developments are communicated to local communities.

“Our aim is to enhance communications and engagement and give communities more access to information and updates on what is happening in their community.”

The department said the pressure to accommodate more than 101,300 new people in such a short period of time has led to significant shortages, and it has been forced to avail of all offers of accommodation made across the country.

An expanded programme of work has been agreed by Government that will allow consideration of commercial properties and sites for development, refurbishment or purchase and the use of alternative modular buildings.

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