LAST UPDATE | 15 Jan 2024

A PERSON HAS been arrested after gardaí scuffled with protesters outside a hotel in Co Tipperary over plans to house families seeking emergency accommodation. 

Dozens of people have turned up today to protest the asylum seekers being moved into the emergency accommodation at Racket Hall. 

Crowds gathered outside the hotel over the weekend in protest, too, including Tipperary TDs Michael Lowry, Mattie McGrath and Martin Browne, according to Tipp FM.

In a statement this afternoon, An Garda Síochána said that “following consultation with relevanent stakeholders” this morning, gardaí put in place an operation at the hotel. 

“Shortly before 12pm, uniform members of An Garda Síochána, supported by ‘soft cap’ public order personnel provided a cordon at the entrance to the IPAS centre to facilitate access for transport carrying international protection applications,” gardaí said in a statement. 

‘Soft cap’ public oder personnel means public order personnel were not wearing helmets or body armour.

“During the course of this operation, one male was arrested under the public order act. He has subsequently been released and a file will be prepared for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution,” gardaí said. 

A Garda presence remains at the hotel this afternoon. 

Speaking to The Journal outside the hotel earlier today, local man Paul McNamara said: “I have no animosity, we accept those women and children inside who are displaced from their own homes. But just to let the Government, that famous Government up in Dublin know that the people of Roscrea also now feel like they’re displaced from their own community. 

“We’re not asking for more migrants, less migrants, what we’re asking is a consideration for the development and the infrastructure of Roscrea, that’s all we want.”

Defending the plan to house families at the hotel, Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman said yesterday: “I absolutely understand that where a hotel in a town’s use changes, I understand that has an impact, that’s why it’s important that we better plan where we provide accommodation.”

He added: “We are responding to a humanitarian crisis and in the situation in Roscrea, we are responding to the needs of families to ensure that they will be accommodated.

“As long as people continue to seek international accommodation, we will have to do that.”

He said the approach his department needs to move to a national, longer-term planned approach nationally rather than the “reactive” method currently being employed.

Members of the Garda Public Order unit are at the scene of a hotel outside Roscrea in Co Tipperary, where crowds have gathered to protest the arrival of three families seeking asylum. pic.twitter.com/cfdxwQLExW

— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) January 15, 2024

Speaking on Newstalk, O’Gorman said: “We’ve had to take accommodation where we can find it because of the significant need and the significant increase in demand both in terms of Ukrainian and international-protection applicants.

“We need to move to a more planned approach where we identify – across the country – a number of locations for accommodation centres where the State is in control of those.”

The Department of Integration expects that Ireland will see approximately 15,000 international protection applicants every year.

Includes reporting by Niall O’Connor (at the scene) and Press Association