Councillor calls for an end of housing refugees in hotels

A FINE GAEL councillor has called on the Government to stop renewing contracts to house refugees in hotels and other accommodation providers as it is having an impact on the tourism industry around the county.

Killala-based councillor Jarlath Munnelly called on Mayo County Council to write to the Government to end the contracts with hoteliers housing refugees as it is impacting on the local economy.

Cllr Munnelly made the comments at a meeting of Mayo County Council where councillors considered a council report on the impact of the accommodation of refugees in County Mayo.

A number of other councillors complained that the large number of refugees staying in hotels was resulting in a lack of bed nights and was ‘decimating’ tourism in the county.

“I don't understand how it [report] can ignore the tourism economy by the fact that bed nights are taken out. I can give an example in Ballycastle and Killala where tourism accommodation has been used to house refugees and there is no question that it is having an impact on the local economy," said Cllr Munnelly at the meeting before calling for an end of housing refugees in hotels.

“It is important to state it is not the fault of the refugees; they have no say in the process but the State can reverse this by not renewing the contracts with tourist accommodation [providers]. I think as a county council we should pass a resolution and ask the government to stop spending money accommodating refugees in tourism accommodation because of the impact it is having on the tourist economy.”

Westport based councillor Christy Hyland was one of the councillors who expressed concern at the loss of jobs in the tourism sector due to the lack of bed nights.

“I have serious concerns about the loss of jobs in the tourism sector in my area and I don't see a business support scheme for people whose turnover is well down because there are no beds. For every visitor who comes to my area they spend in the region of €200 a day. It is a question of getting the balance right and I don't think we are getting the balance right in my area,” he said.

The report was heavily criticised by a number of councillors who felt that it had not addressed the motion put forward by the councillors when they asked for the report in June.

Cllr Peter Flynn who was one of the councillors to call for a report described it as a sham and 'filled with a load of waffle'.

“In my view the report is a sham and does not address the motion. We are none the wiser as to where we are in terms of addressing the motion. I am not happy with it,” he said.

Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne also felt the report should be rejected as the data regarding the number of refugees in Mayo was from June and out of date.

Director of Services, Joanne Grehan defended the report stating that the consultants who prepared the report used the most up to date data available from the CSO at the time. She added that Mayo County Council has very little involvement in placing refugees in the county.

Chief Executive, Kevin Kelly added that businesses and hoteliers have taken a commercial decision to house refugees and a wider conversation was needed locally on the long-term vision for these premises.