Protest to take place outside Ballina hotel due to accommodate international protection applicants

A protest is to take place outside Ballina’s Twin Trees Hotel over the accommodation of international protection applicants (IPAs) in the hotel. 

The is comes following a report The Western People today (Thursday) that the hotel is to accommodate 120 international protection applicants from family units in 33 of the it’s 68 bedrooms. 

A poster produced by those organising the demonstration called for a ‘peaceful public assembly’ in opposition to the proposed accommodation of IPAs at the hotel. 

Among the list of grievances included, ‘residents’ opinions’, ‘safety concerns’, ‘impact on the tourism industry’ and the location’s suitability due to ‘the town’s current educational and medical resources’ being at ‘peak capacity’. 

The protest is due to take place outside the hotel at 7pm on Friday, April 12.

A letter from the Department of Integration’s Community Enagement team to sent to all six councillors from Ballina Municipal District Council, all four Mayo TDs and Fianna Fáil Senator Lisa Chambers, said that local agencies had been informed of the need for ‘additional supports’ to accommodate an increase in population. 

These include the departments of Health, Education, Justice, HSE, An Garda Síochana, the Local Government Management Agency, the local integration teams and local development office. 

Ballina is currently home to over 10,000 people, according to the last Census - which excludes some Ukrainian refugees who have come to live in Mayo since the last Census was taken in April 2022. 

The letter, seen by The Mayo News, said that Ireland was ‘legally required under EU law to provide accommodation for people seeking international protection here’.

“As we are sure you are aware, this is a nationwide urgent situation and emergency centres, such as this one have been opened in all parts of the country. All counties in Ireland are providing help and assistance with this.

“There have been over 190 accommodation locations utilised since January 2022 across 26 counties. These options must be considered to prevent homelessness for people with their families and children arriving seeking international protection.

“The Government is continuing to work intensively to source further accommodation and to follow up with those International Protection applicants awaiting an offer of accommodation. While demand continues to outstrip supply, the Department on behalf of the Government, is doing all it can to ensure that all families and children have been accommodated.”

Local Independent councillor Mark Duffy described as ‘totally unacceptable’ the lack of communication from the Department with local representatives regarding the use of the hotel for IPAs.

Mayo County Council unanimously passed a motion in January calling for the council to cease cooperation with the Department of Integration until a strategy had been agreed to provide communities accommodating refugees with appropriate resources.

_{Ballina-based county councillor Mark Duffy (Pic: Michael McLaughlin)}

“It’s very disappointing that we hear this information on the eleventh hour without having input from public representatives at this point, the decision and the autonomy is being taken out of our hands,” Cllr Duffy said.

“What people find difficult to take is the lack of emergency accommodation for our own people who are struggling in this area. I recently tried to help a person who fell on hard times in this area and the only available accommodation for them was in Ballinrobe.”

“The lack of input and communication from the Department to local representatives is totally unacceptable.”

I think the profiteering is also something that is totally unacceptable.”

“The government came out with a lot of communication that there was going to be a strategy and lesser reliance on tourist accommodation and then very quickly after, hotels in Ballina are being used for provision of International Protection.”

The government recently announced plans to acquired thousands of state-owned beds to house refugees to reduce dependence on private accommodation providers.

Mayo is currently accommodating over 1,000 international protection applicants at various locations throughout the county.