Ballina councillors demand housing of asylum seekers in local hotel be halted

COUNCILLORS from the Ballina Municipal District have demanded the halting of the proposed accommodation of 120 International Protection Applicants (IPAs) in a local hotel.

Ballina Municipal District Council has voted to write to the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Minister for Integration asking that IPAs not be housed in the Twin Trees Hotel in Ballina.

A round-the-clock protest has been in place at the hotel since hundreds of people gathered for a demonstration at the hotel on Friday.

A number of representatives who voted to write to the government regarding the matter were present at the demonstration.

Today (Wednesday), approximately ten people were present near a gazebo erected outside the hotel while a number of men with signs stood at the end of the road leading into the hotel. 

A protest March has been scheduled to take place in Ballina against the proposed accommodation of IPAs on Saturday, April 20.

Councillors who spoke at today’s (Wednesday) meeting of Ballina Municipal District Council voiced concerns over the lack of hotel accommodation in the Ballina area.

Cllr Annie May Reape (Fianna Fáil) and Cllr John O’Hara (Fine Gael) said the town had already taken in enough IPAs and said they were willing to travel to Dublin to meet government officials regarding the situation.

Declan Turnbull, Head of Ballina Municipal District, told the meeting that Ballina is accommodating 407 asylum seekers and Ukrainians at present.

Westport is accommodating 614 while Castlebar is accommodating by far the largest number with 1,393.

Cllr Jarlath Munnelly (Fine Gael) said that the government should stop using tourism accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers.

Cllr Munnelly, who acknowledged that Mayo County Council has ‘no role’ in the accommodation of refugees, said the government was risking ‘killing our tourism industry’.

Independent councillor Mark Duffy told the meeting that he had not received a reply from the Department of Integration’s Community Engagement Team after he emailed them regarding the proposed accommodation of IPAs at the Twin Trees Hotel.

Cllr Duffy also complained that housing of refugees was not subject to the same scrutiny as the construction of permanent houses.

At present, over 20 percent of Fáilte Ireland registered accommodation in Mayo has been contracted by the government to accommodate refugees and asylum seekers.

The national percentage of accommodation reserved by the government is 12 percent.

Tom Gilligan, Mayo County Council's Director of Services for Housing

‘SCHOOL YARD BULLIES’

TOM Gilligan, Mayo County Council’s Director of Services for Housing, described some of the demonstrators who assembled outside the hotel last Friday as ‘school yard bullies’.

Mr Gilligan said that elected representatives were ‘bullied’ and ‘shouted at’ by some of those who attended the gathering.

Responding to queries from members of the municipal district council, Mr Gilligan said he was first informed that the hotel would accommodate IPAs at the same time as elected representatives.

An email was sent from the Department of Integration’s Community Engagement Team informing local representatives that it was engaging with various local agencies to prepare for the arrival of 120 people at the hotel.

The Twin Trees Hotel will remain open for bookings from the public as 33 of its 68 rooms are being used to accommodate IPAs.

“We’re here to implement government policy and that is something we will do,” Mr Gilligan said.

The hotel has issued a statement saying that will remain open to the public.

The family units who are to be accommodated at the hotel are not expected to arrive for a number of weeks, according to the statement.

“In recent years, pre and post-pandemic, the hotel’s occupancy figures indicate that, on average, 26 rooms are used by the tourism market,” the hotel stated.

“The 35 rooms which will remain open to the tourism market represent 30% more than the demand in recent years.

“The hotel has begun investing in an extensive refurbishment involving upgrades to all guest and member facilities, and a new summer menu will be launching soon.

“Our plan is to elevate the hotel to a lifestyle leisure resort for the area, bringing a new premium standard of hospitality for the North Mayo region.

“The hotel respects the rights of protesters but kindly asks that guests and staff be respected and that members’ ability to use our leisure club and facilities not be blocked.”