A spokesperson for concerned citizens in a small Leitrim village has denied reports of road blocks in the area during a protest last Friday night about plans to accommodate asylum seekers in a hotel.
Fiona McPadden told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that there had been “a lot of tension” in the Dromahair area when rumours started last Friday that buses were transporting 91 men from City West to the Abbey Manor hotel.
On November 22nd a crowd of 400 residents of the village had gathered to raise their concerns, she claimed. The organisers had asked people not to bring signs or placards and the event was “very peaceful”.
However, the protest on Friday night was attended by people “we didn’t know”. Ms McPadden said the community was frustrated at the lack of communication and consultation by the Department of Integration.
There was “a lot of tension” at the gathering outside the hotel on Friday night, she said. The gardaí were alerted, but it took an hour and a half for them to arrive from Manorhamilton.
“Friday was a little bit different in that there was tension there. And there were also people that had arrived that we didn't know.”
Efforts were made by local political representatives to get confirmation from the Department, added Ms McPadden.
“On Wednesday, when we had organised the gathering, it was organised very quickly and we had about 400 people arrive at the hotel. All residents from here. And we had asked them to come and not bring any signs or placards or banners or anything that we just wanted to peacefully voice their concerns and have them acknowledged.
“We didn't foresee that anything was going to happen very quickly. We knew the hotel was ready for occupancy, but we didn't expect refugees to arrive so quickly. And on Friday I had basically in the evening rumours started going out that there was 91 on the way.
“We were worried about 91 men. I mean, we're worried about 31 men coming up. But I suppose people were afraid and I suppose they were frustrated at the lack of communication and the lack of consultation. That didn't seem to have been any respect for the community and what had happened up to that point.”
When asked if international protection applicants were welcome in Dromahair, Ms McPadden said Drumahair was not saying no to refugees, they just wanted the Department to reconsider the numbers and to send families.
The population of the village was 939 in the last census, she said. A petition had recently been signed by 800 saying they would prefer families only.
“We would like to have a say in who lives in Dromahair. We're very happy to welcome families here.”
Ms McPadden said the concern was that if 155 people were put into a small building in any village “you give them €38 a week and there’s nothing to do, you’re going to have issues regardless of where they come from.”
There were concerns about single men being accommodated in the same building as children, which she feared contravened Government guidelines.
“We have an obligation to make sure that the children that are coming to this centre are safe as well. And it just seems to be huge gaps everywhere in this process. There's accommodation standards that are also issued by the Government and they don't seem to be being met in the hotel.”
Ms McPadden also expressed concern about the planning process and if a new planning application had been made for change of use from short-term residency to long-term residency.
