Call to delay arrival of 155 refugees in Dromahair

A proposal was made to delay the possible arrival of 155 refugees in Dromahair next week due the lack of consultation in regard to services in the village where local councillors say the school and primary care centre are both at full capacity.
Councillors condemned the lack of communication from the department in relation to the refugees' arrival at the recently restored Abbey Manor Hotel.
A meeting of Manorhamilton Municipal District heard that councillors had received an email from he Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) confirming that beds were being provided for people seeking refugee status in Ireland - 124 for families and 31 beds for single men.
Cllr Felim Gurn said that he was advised that Leitrim would have met it's quota for taking in people fleeing the war at “450 people now we currently have around 1,900 Ukrainians.”
He said the population of Dromahair is nearly 1,000 and asked if there “has been consultation here with regards the primary care centre; that's at capacity as it is.”
He continued that these families have to be educated and said the “pressure on Sligo A&E has to be taken into consideration.
Cllr Mary Bohan said the school and doctor's surgery are full and that she wanted the council to call on the department to “delay this further until all these services have been put in place. I think myself, for 47 bedrooms, the number of people coming in seems to be very high.”

Cllr Bohan noted that “this is a very sensitive issue” and said that many of the people fleeing from the war have “nothing but the clothes on their back and if any of us were in their shoes, we would be looking for a roof over our heads and those unfortunate people are not responsible for the chaos it's causing in certain areas.”
She said that issue was the lack of information from the department and said she tried to get in contact with the owner of the hotel several times but still failed to get any answers.
She spoke of how protests took place at Magowna House hotel in Inch, Co Clare, after over 30 asylum seekers entered the premises during the summer.
“We need to have everything in place for them when they do come and be catered for in local schools. The Dromahair school full and the doctor's surgery is full,” she said.
She wants the council to call on the department to “delay this further until all these services have been put in place. I think myself, for 47 bedrooms, the number of people coming in seems to be very high.”
“A lot of people said they would welcome families and help them integrate with regard to sports, schools, etc. but the facilities are not there. If they are going to bussed into Sligo and all over the place how will they integrate?” she asked.
Cllr Padraig Fallon asked how 155 people will fit into 47 rooms, “especially with a number of single individuals.” He said that the “communication has been dire” and he has been contacted several times in relation to the issue. He said that he contacted the department on a regular basis but only “got vague replies.”
He said “no lessons have been learned” from where there have been concerns in other communities regarding this issue.
“This is a form of direct provision,” he continued which he described as “inhumane, degrading and unfit for purpose.”
Cllr Sean McDermott seconded Cllr Bohan's proposal that “we hold back and put that in writing because it doesn't make sense.” He said with 155 people coming to an area, “you want to be told everything up front and spelt out properly and that doesn't seem to be happening.”
Cllr Frank Dolan said the real issue was “the lack of communication, the secrecy, the rumours of the unknown and that has the local people annoyed; it's not that they are anti-anything.”
Cllr Dolan asked “what do 31 single men do in the village of Dromahair and it will bring serious problems for the ordinary individuals living in the village.”
Chief Leitrim Planner Bernard Greene responded and said that the council “haven't received any formal complaints to the effect that unauthorised development had taken place and they (the owners) hadn't complied with planning permission.”
He added that he and another member of the team will go and inspect the building themselves in the next week “to ensure the permission that was granted last year is being carried out according to what was granted but that is the physical works; the use of the structure then is governed by the Exempted Development Provisions.”
He added that it was believed they were “somewhat lenient to the developers - we weren't,” he said, adding that they ensured all planning regulations were adhered to.
Cllr Bohan said, “I do think we need to contact the department to delay this until we get these issues sorted.” Cllr Gurn backed the motion.

Concerned Residents Group established
A group has been set up by concerned residents in Dromahair in response to the imminent arrival of 155 refugees.
In a statement, the group said, “The decision to accommodate 155 International Protection Applicants (IPA), a mixture of families and single males is very concerning.
“We have no Garda station in Dromahair and we have a right to be concerned for our safety given the increase in population this will result in overnight.
“There has been a complete lack of respect shown to the community and the refugees in the process to date by both the developer and the various government departments involved.
“There was no consultation or engagement with the community of Dromahair at any stage. Dromahair does not have the services or infrastructure to cope with these numbers of IPA. Schools, health services, transport services, and all other public services are already lacking in resources.
“We do not believe that the building is fit for purpose and have raised numerous concerns to Leitrim County Council to this effect.
“In light of this we are intending to have a peaceful gathering outside the Abbey Hotel this evening (Wednesday) at 7pm in Dromahair to show our concerns.”