Asylum seekers and refugees living in mobile homes on a specially created site on the outskirts of Athlone have indicated they want to put down more permanent “roots” in Ireland.
Fianna Fáil Longford-Westmeath TD Mary O’Rourke has told the European Affairs Committee the residents had asked her to secure allotments for them to grow their own food.
The committee had been told last Thursday by MEP Maireád McGuinness, a member of the European Parliament’s agriculture committee, there was only 40 days’ supply of food in the world. Ms O’Rourke said she was acting on the request from the asylum seekers and hoped to secure allotments for them.
Seán Mac Connell
