Labour party leader Ivana Bacik has said it is crucial that local representatives are given clear notification of any plans to provide emergency accommodation in an area, following a fire in Dublin’s south inner city in a building falsely linked to asylum seekers.
The first results from a technical examination of the blaze, which gutted the building in Ringsend in the early hours of Sunday, has determined it was an act of criminal damage.
It is one of several fires to break out in recent months at premises rumoured or confirmed to be earmarked for housing asylum seekers. A former hotel in Rosscahill, Co Galway, was destroyed in December in a suspected arson after being acquired for asylum seeker accommodation.
Ms Bacik told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that she was concerned by the actions of “sinister actors” from the far right who were spreading misinformation. The “vetting nonsense” that was being spread by the far right needed to be dispelled, she urged.
She said every effort must be made to assist gardaí in their investigation now it had been confirmed the fire was started deliberately. Ringsend was at heart a very welcoming, inclusive community and it was clear that the actions of those responsible for the fire did not in any way represent the views of the local community, she said.
Ms Bacik confirmed that local representatives had not been informed by the Dublin Regional Executive about plans to provide accommodation for homeless families in the premises. That was “most unfortunate” she said, as she commended Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman and his department on their “greatly improved” communications with local representatives.
The Labour party had a proud history of being a party of equality, Ms Bacik said. “There's no space in our party for any anti-migrant views or any racist views. I come from a family of immigrants. My father's family came here from the Czech Republic and made a huge contribution to our society, particularly in Waterford City where they settled. So, you know, we take it very seriously.”
Labour candidate's comments
When asked about comments made by Labour party local election candidate Carol Reynolds about “too many immigrants”, Ms Bacik said Ms Reynolds had made a full apology and the party was conducting an investigation “to establish the circumstances that led to the comments being made and indeed the making of the video by and by individuals who may have been associated with the far right.
“We want to determine the context of the remarks. We want to examine our internal processes to ensure how we can improve those. And we want to ascertain very crucially what additional training and supports we can provide for candidates, because we're very concerned that individuals from the far right and sinister actors, I have to say, are involved in manipulating and intimidating all sorts of community members of local communities, including candidates, parties. And we want to be very, very, very careful to ensure that we provide supports.”
Ms Bacik said she would point out to anyone who complained about “unvetted migrants” that under the Geneva Convention people were entitled to claim asylum in Ireland and that they were in fact vetted.
“So this vetting nonsense is a complete mess. It's being spread by the far right. We do have a system in place through our immigration processes to ensure that people are checked.”
It was an “absolute fallacy” that Ireland was full, she said. Ireland was a country that “should and must indeed welcome those who come here seeking refuge from persecution or war. And we also must welcome those who come here providing the very needed skills and expertise, those who drive our busses, who mind children, who work in our hospitals, our health care settings. I think all of us are aware that our health care, our retail, our hospitality, none of this could function without those who come here to give us the benefit of their skills and their expertise, just as my father's family did.”
'Very different' outcome
Meanwhile, a Fine Gael councillor said the outcome would have been very different in Ringsend if they had been informed that the premises destroyed in a fire was intended to accommodate homeless families.
Speaking on RTE’s Morning Ireland, Cllr Danny Byrne said there had been a lot of misinformation about “unvetted” asylum seekers moving to the former bar and bed and breakfast building in Ringsend. “A lot of fear was being stoked up.”
The “real pity” now was that the building could not be used for anything, while “certain individuals” were travelling the country stoking up hate, he claimed.
“We're back to the core of the problem where this was not communicated from the beginning. I think the outcome would have been very different if it had been clearly communicated from the beginning that this building was to be used for homeless families, our biggest problem is homelessness. And I think the outcome would have been very different.”
Cllr Byrne explained that when the vacant building had been sold people in the area were apprehensive “about what might happen there.” Concerns were heightened when a health and safety notice was posted on the door containing the “key words” which were emergency accommodation.
Local public representatives were not informed about any plans for the building. “I understand some media were informed that it was going to be used for homeless accommodation, but again, the public reps were not informed and people were inside the premises not allowing builders in.”
It was the responsibility of organisations providing accommodation to inform the local community about plans. “There was a lot of misinformation and a lot of outside influence. People were saying all this, people coming in from all over the country and so on. And there was a lot of fear has been spent, being stoked up.”
Plans by the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive to provide accommodation for the homeless should have been clearly outlined from an early stage to the local community and local public representatives, he said.
“The outcome may have been different if there was clear communication from the beginning.”
While he “absolutely” condemned the fire, Cllr Byrne said he “takes” his decisions from the electorate, from the local community.
