Kilkenny councillors table two motions on temporary accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers

The Government’s current approach to identifying the suitability of potential accommodation centres for Ukrainian refugees and international protection applicants in Kilkenny has been placed under heavy scrutiny by local councillors.

There were heated scenes in County Hall earlier this week when two motions were tabled by elected members in relation to the issue.

The first motion, from Cllr David Fitzgerald, called for ‘the provision of temporary accommodation for the Ukrainian response and international protection applicants’ to ‘be compliant with the Kilkenny City and County Development Plan’.

Acknowledging that the Ukrainian humanitarian response up to this point has been ‘difficult and challenging’, he stated that ‘we are no longer in a crisis mode’ and called for ‘no scheme to be fast-tracked or bullied through the system’.

His motion was seconded by party colleague, Cllr Mary Hilda Cavanagh, who stated that the current approach from government is generating ‘mistrust, distrust and fear’.

She stated that the lack of consultation with local councillors and communities is perpetuating ‘neverending misinformation, extremism and scaremongering’.

The second motion, from councillors Andrew McGuinness and Michael Doyle, called upon the local authority to write to Minister for Integration, Roderic O’Gorman, to express ‘deep concern and disappointment regarding the lack of consultation with local communities’.

The motion was also ‘to outline our opposition to accommodating large numbers of occupants in various areas in Kilkenny City and county with little regard for infrastructure, amenities, capacity, planning and the local area’.

“The worst part is that we’re left to speculation,” he said. “When you have speculation, you have serious division, serious fights.

“Us as elected members don’t know and don’t have answers. The Minister has a lot to answer for. Enough is enough.”

Although there were no objections made to the first motion, Cllr Maria Dollard stated that she could not put her name to the second motion.

“I think we have to be careful with the words that we use,” she said, adding that it is important that it does not become an ‘us versus them’ narrative.

“My own experience with refugees in Kilkenny has been extremely positive,” she noted.

Cllr Dollard told elected members that she regularly engages with international protection applicants who volunteer their free time for positive civic initiatives in Kilkenny.

She further stated that many other international protection applicants have secured employment, some getting buses from Kilkenny up to Dublin every morning to work.

It was also raised by Cllr Dollard that Kilkenny has one of the lowest per capita figures for international protection applicants across all 32 counties.

“There is too much scope to interpret this motion as opposition to refugees in Kilkenny,” she concluded. “I cannot put my name to it.”

Director of Services at Kilkenny County Council, Sean McKeown, confirmed to elected members that ‘there have been two statutory instruments introduced by government for the provision of temporary exemptions for emergency accommodation for displaced persons on the Planning and Development Act’.

“Developers who come forward with proposals for consideration can be exempt under both statutory instruments simultaneously,” he said.

“You can imagine, for us dealing with the situation, that causes further complexities and it’s important to note that.”

Mr McKeown further explained that while both of these statutory instruments have expiration dates, the government can opt to extend them if deemed necessary.

“This is the process that we have to deal with and we’re doing our best with that,” he said. “We are implementing and complying with the statutory instruments. We are not being cajoled. We are implementing the statutory instruments that have been given to us.”

Mr McKeown further added that ‘there is no provision within the statutory instruments for the public to make submissions or for public consultation’.

“We are receiving requests from local communities all over the county with genuine concern in relation to some developments that are being proposed and we are doing our best to brief those communities,” he said.

“Also issues have arisen in some developments and enforcement files have been opened.”

Mr McKeown also confirmed that the statutory instruments remove developer proposals from the scope of the County Development Plan.

Director of Services Fiona Deegan, who has spearheaded the management of displaced Ukrainian persons in Kilkenny for the past two years, made the point that ‘transport solutions have to be built into all proposals across the county’.

Responding to comments made about integration, Ms Deegan stated refugees ‘are very well integrated’.

“In terms of our Ukrainian people, 54% of the adult population are now in employment,” she said. “Of the international protection applicants, 51% are employed.

“We also have a new local area integration team in place that works with everybody that arrives here in Kilkenny.”

Cllr Eugene McGuinness, during his contribution, lambasted government TDs for ‘speaking out from both sides of their mouths’.

He stated that the issues raised are ‘being replicated across the country’.

Cllr Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere made a similar point, noting that ‘the reality is our Oireachtas TDs have failed us’.

“We were elected by people to represent the people but we have no say,” he added. “Talk about a devolution of power.”

Cllr Pat Fitzpatrick, who recently served as the President of the Association of Irish Local Government, also hit out at ‘the powers of councillors being taken away’.

Joining him was the Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council Michael Doyle, who took issue with the ‘erosion of power from local representatives’.

“We should be able to affect our local communities and we cannot,” he said.