Communication improves on Roscrea Convent refugee plans

PLANS to accommodate over 400 people fleeing the war in Ukraine in the former Sacred Heart Convent in Roscrea are progressing after the issue was raised at several meetings in the last week.

Local representatives told this newspaper that communication between the owners of the Convent complex, Minister Roderic O'Gorman and the Department for Integration and the local community has improved - with a previous lack of communication and vacuum of official information being blamed for upsetting people who mounted a protest against the plans.

Last week local Fianna Fáil Councillor, Michael Smith, invited a number of organisations in Roscrea to meet the owners of the building, which was described as productive and beneficial with "clear insight" into the owner's plans. 

“I made contact with the new owners of the Convent building to discuss their proposals and their future plans for this site - it was my first opportunity to get an understanding of their engagement so far with Tipperary County Council", Cllr. Michael Smith said. 

"At this meeting, representatives from Roscrea Community Development Council (RCDC), Age Friendly Roscrea, St.Vincent DePaul, Roscrea Town Centre First, North Tipperary Development Company and local residents were given an opportunity to express their genuine concerns in relation to the use of the building for accommodation. 

"These concerns primarily centred around poor communication and lack of information", Cllr. Smith said.

He said the owners outlined how they have engaged with the Department over the last eight months and the residents were made up of temporary protection applicants fleeing the war in Ukraine. 

The term of the contract for accommodation is 12 months from the commencement date of each phase and the accommodation is scheduled to be delivered in four phases over the next nine months. 

It is impossible to be certain how long individuals under this scheme will stay in this site and the current focus of the developers is to complete the building works and accommodate people in the Convent complex and there are no plans for additional units, he said. 

“Unfortunately this development, in a beautiful building within our town, has led to a huge amount of confusion and concern. I believe that engagement with the local community should have taken place from the beginning. 

"This site offers huge potential in the centre of our town and it is vitally important that we all work together to achieve a long term vision for this site", Cllr. Smith said.

The developers invited all the organisations in Roscrea to make contact with them to hold any desired further meetings and Cllr. Smith said they acknowledged that "there was a complete lack of communication and this had led to concern within the town." 

A further meeting is scheduled to take place next week, arranged by Cllr.Smith and with other committees, stakeholders and developers. 

SCHOOLS NOT FULL

Reaction to recent protests against plans to accommodate people fleeing the war in Ukraine in the former Convent building in Roscrea town centre prompted local people to speak out against the misguided rhetoric circulated by some protestors.

Last week this newspaper reported the sentiments of two local leaders who spoke out against the recent protests at plans to accommodate refugees in the former Sacred Heart Convent building on Convent Hill.

The welcoming message towards people finding refuge in Roscrea was again echoed this week when a local member of the clergy who is a member of the Board for a local National School said the real situation is contrary to the protestors claim about lack of school spaces.

An argument repeatedly put forward at the protest in Roscrea and similar protests in other towns around the country is that local schools cannot cope with a sudden influx of children from Ukraine and other war torn countries.

Instead, the schools in Roscrea have capacity and could benefit from new arrivals, the local clergy member said, adding that a warm welcome awaits children lucky enough to find themselves in Roscrea.

FIRE CERT PENDING

Meanwhile, it emerged at a meeting of Tipperary County Council last week that a Fire Safety Certificate, which is required by the owners of the former Convent complex before they can accommodate refugees, is currently being processed.

Local Councillor Shane Lee told the meeting the community of Roscrea are “very kind-hearted, very caring and very welcoming people”, but added that many people feel Roscrea already suffers from a dearth of  services which are overstretched and haven't the capacity required to meet the needs of a sudden  influx of new residents.

Minister for Integration Roderick O’Gorman is “sleepwalking” on the matter, Cllr Lee said, calling on the minister's department and the building's owner, McHale Residential Ltd, to listen to the concerns of the local community.

“The people of Roscrea deserve a bit better because as far as we're concerned, it's the cart before the horse here, and that's hugely unfair on the people of Roscrea.”

Cllr Michael Smith said the convent was identified as a “key site for Roscrea” under the Town Centre First development plan. The building has been vacant for the last 25 years and local representatives were “left in the dark” about the new use proposed for it, he said.

Last week McHale Residential Limited  issued a statement in which it said it would assist the Ukrainian families with integrating into the local area, but will ensure to respect the historic nature of the convent building.

A team of conservation architects, engineers, surveyors and a construction crew have been assembled, and the company said it is working with the council and relevant internal experts to ensure a “sustainable and compliant construction”.

The  statement, which was issued to  Tipp FM, said a number of local politicians have been involved in the discussion of the project over the last eight months. McHale Residential advised that the convent is in need of repair and stated that it would require a multi-million euro spend to safeguard the building's future.

The company acknowledged “local sensitivities” and stated that their aim is to ensure the Ukrainian reception centre is “run in a manner that is respectful of the local community’s concerns”.

MINISTER WILL MEET ROSCREA PEOPLE

The Minister with responsibility for Integration, Roderick O’Gorman, told Deputy Michael Lowry in the Dail last week he is “happy to arrange a meeting (in Roscrea) as we do our best to engage with communities.”

"We are happy to follow up with you in terms of arranging a meeting with the Roscrea community", the Minister's office told Deputy Lowry.

Deputy Lowry said the people of Roscrea have already responded in a kind and generous manner by welcoming hundreds of displaced people into the town. He said a Direct Provision Centre already exists, local factories and businesses have large numbers of foreign nationals employed and asylum seekers are accommodated in numerous houses around the town.

"As a result, medical services are pushed beyond their limit. The Garda Station has been downgraded and has no overnight Garda presence. Schools in the town are already beyond capacity", Deputy Lowry said.

"Roscrea is already overflowing. Services cannot cope with the increased population. It is the local people of Roscrea who are suffering as a result. The sheer scale and magnitude of this exercise is going to overwhelm services and infrastructure. 

"The size of the proposed resettlement is completely out of ratio with the town’s population", Deputy Lowry said.

He said he recently had several discussions accompanied by local Councillor Shane Lee with local groups and that "people understand that we have a moral obligation to assist, but they are opposed to such a high influx of people who will have a high dependency on support services that do not exist."

Minister O’Gorman thanked Deputy Lowry for his ongoing engagement on this matter and said he recognised the significant welcome that Roscrea has given to Ukrainian and International Protection Applicants.

He said that the former Convent building has been refurbished for Ukrainians fleeing the war. "It is for Ukrainians, primarily family groups. It is to be phased in its use, with some arriving over the summer, some in the latter part of this year and some in 2024.

"I think we will need the capacity over the summer, but further use will depend on our needs in terms of Ukrainians arriving into the country. So we’ll continue to monitor the need for the further use of this facility," Minister O'Gorman said.