Mattie McGrath: government forcing asylum seekers into hotels
Mattie McGrath criticised the Government's use of hotels to house asylum seekers and thanked local staff and the Gardaí. He said hotels in Tipperary were being used without consultation and that this was harming the local economy and tourism.
Acknowledgements and thanks
He thanked, on behalf of the Royal Independence, staff and local officials including Cairn Cunhcone, Peter Finnegan and Bridget Blynne, as well as ushers, cleaners, the secretariat, printers and the Gardaí for their work and support during the 33rd Dáil.
Hotels named and local protest
He named hotels in Tipperary cited in his remarks - Racket Hall in Dundrum, Roscray, Dundrum House Hotel, the Enhance Hotel in Clonmel and Cunhcone Lodge Hotel in Cairn - and said local business people and residents remained at the gates in protest because they had not been consulted.
Consultation, economy and costs
He argued the practice was "dividing the people", forcing IPAS persons into hotels against the will of local communities, and said the policy was damaging the economy and tourism. He raised a spending example, saying £446,000 was spent on modular units in Clonmel that "should cost £70,000", and said the Government had failed to house "the £15,000 homeless".
Government position on hotel use
Responding in the same exchange, the Government position was summarised as opposing future use of hotels in core town centres for asylum accommodation. The Government said it is endeavouring to create state-owned facilities because the use of hotels in town centres can be detrimental to economic and tourism development and that broader policy measures will be required.
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Mark Gord, Kate Olshies, Cairn Cunhcone, Waghemw, Waghemw, Waghemw, Waghemw, Waghemw, Thusser, Ngoc, Enya, Eggo, Brainsen, Tauksien. I wanted to, on behalf of the Royal Independence, extend a gratitude and thanks to yourself, Cairn Cunhcone, Peter Finnegan and Bridget Blynne and all the staff. As I said, you're right at the front gate, we meet to come in to staff, the Oshers especially, cleaners, everybody, secretariat, printers, everybody, and the Gardaí for looking after us here so well. In the 33rd Dáil, and I wanted that to be heartfelt, thanks. Tarnishtah, what have towns like, or hotels like Racket Hall in Dundrum, in Roscray, Dundrum House Hotel, and the Enhance Hotel in Clonmel, and now Cunhcone Lodge Hotel, a beautiful hotel in Cairn, right in vain, right down to the centre of Tipperary. The British had a policy of divide and conquer, but you're dividing and conquering the people now, because you're dividing the people. You're forced, against the will of the people, with no consultation, IPAS persons, into these hotels. Stop them trading against hotels, it's damaging our economy hugely, but also the fact there's no consultation, none whatsoever, and the will of the people has been denied. They'll have a chance to reflect on what you've done, Tim, in three weeks' time, but I think it's shameful, the way Tipperary has been treated, and a noble county, and these noble business people, and the good people of Dundrum, are still at the gates, and will remain there, because they haven't been consulted. And this flying in the face of democracy, there's been £446,000 on a modular units in Clonmel, which should cost £70,000, and you can't house the £15,000 homeless. It's a shame on your legacy. First of all, I agree, Tipperary is a most noble county, and a beautiful county, but on the specific issue that you referenced, the Government has taken a position that it doesn't, in the future, it doesn't want hotels to be used, in particularly hotels and towns that are a vital piece of the tourism infrastructure to be used for the purposes of housing asylum seekers, and we're endeavouring to create state-owned facilities and accommodation to deal with those coming in seeking asylum in the country, because it is acknowledged that the use of hotels in the core part of towns can be detrimental to the economic and tourism development of towns, and that is something that I believe in, and it's notwithstanding all of the challenges that are coming our way, in respect of this issue. And there will be other broader policy issues required as well. Thank you, Tipperary, Jonk. Thank you. Thank you.
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