Around 100 protesters have staged a rally at the gates of Dundrum House Hotel in Tipperary on Tuesday, as the first group of international protection applicants (IPAs) were due to arrive.
The first IPA group, believed to be approximately 80 people and consisting of women and children, arrived by bus on Tuesday amid tense scenes. The move follows over 75 days of protest at the gates by locals who are opposed to transforming the hotel into an IPAS centre.
Gardaí assisted Department of Integration officials and maintained a presence at all entrances as around 80 people moved into the historic Tipperary property.
A spokeswoman said they continue to engage with “those gathered peacefully at the location” and are facilitating access to and from the premises.
The group arrived in a fleet of three buses and were escorted into the former hotel where accommodation was assigned.
Some locals hit out at plans to use the former hotel as “a hybrid” long-term refugee centre, arguing they wanted it to re-open as a hotel to boost the local tourism industry.
Protests had been maintained outside the Tipperary property for the past two months as some locals warned that such a long-term allocation would also stretch local services to breaking point.
A group of protesters made their feelings known outside the main Dundrum gates as the refugees and asylum seekers were escorted into the property.
The demonstrations were entirely peaceful with some protesters posting video clips to social media sites.
Government officials insisted that there was no question of capacity at Dundrum being increased.
“There is no intention to increase the capacity or overall numbers accommodated at this site, regardless of the process under which they are accommodated in Ireland.”
Department of Integration officials have vowed to work with the local community to address all issues involved and have appointed a special community engagement group.
One shopkeeper described the mood in the village as “absolutely shocking”.
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At present, the hotel is being used to house around 270 Ukrainians beneficiaries of temporary protection (BOTPs). It’s understood about 70 Ukrainians will gradually leave to make way for the new arrivals.
Reports of up to 70 gardaí mounted a major security operation in Dundrum, Co Tipperary, this morning to protect the first group of international protection applicants to stay at the local hotel
Local road diversions were in place all morning and dozens of gardaí secured the area from around dawn with Supt Eddie Golden taking charge of events. The largely peaceful protest involved about 100 people and around 70 or 80 gardaí, according to local reports.
At lunchtime, all the main approach roads to the hotel remained closed by gardaí.
“An Garda Síochána are in the process of assisting IPAS at a location in Tipperary this morning, August 13,” said a garda spokesperson. ”No further information is available at this time.”
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – August 13th
A spokesperson for a group called No to Dundrum House Hotel IPAS centre said: “We are here at the gates of Dundrum House Hotel, trying desperately to maintain our peaceful protest. We have now had members of outside groups join us, despite us expressly telling them to stay away.
“There are live TikToks being broadcast against our wishes. We have told them to leave. We do not want the trouble they seem intent on causing. We only care about Dundrum House Hotel.”
Independent TD Mattie McGrath told Tipp FM radio that it was a “bad day for community relations and gardaí”.
“I’m not blaming the gardaí. They’re have to do their job. It’s so unfortunate, this situation. The Government are doing this, they’re putting a wedge between communities all over the country and the people.”
Many local people are opposed to an IPAS centre in Dundrum House Hotel and have been protesting at the front gates for over 75 days
Local woman Fiona Kennedy stressed that people warmly welcomed 277 Ukrainian refugees when they were allocated to the centre two years ago – but residents now want their hotel back because it is a vital tourism asset.
Further, she said locals were deeply concerned that the so-called “hybrid property” would ultimately become a permanent fixture in the community and vastly bigger than the Government had indicated.
“(Locals were told) the (Ukrainian) centre would be a temporary arrangement,” she said. “All we want is to get our hotel back. Dundrum and this part of Tipperary is a great tourist destination.”
“But what they are now proposing will break the village.”
She said the loss of such a vital tourism asset as the hotel was a body blow for the Tipperary community – and people who want to holiday in the beautiful area would now longer able be to do so.
“None of that spending is here now when there are no holiday makers and there is no holiday accommodation. The reality is that people have stopped coming to the area because they cannot get accommodation,” she said.
Other locals expressed concern that the issue was now being exploited by far-right elements to the detriment of everyone, including the Dundrum community.
Over recent weeks, as some Ukrainian refugees left the centre they were replaced by IPA refugees, creating “a hybrid” accommodation centre.
The village of Dundrum in south Tipperary has a population of 165.
However, the Government intends to continue to use Dundrum House Hotel as an accommodation complex with plans for up to 280 IPAs to be housed there.
A public meeting to discuss the community’s response to the move attracted over 300 people from Dundrum village and surrounding areas last month.
The row follows stand-offs earlier this year with the local communities in Roscrea and Clonmel over large-scale refugee centres.
The Roscrea and Clonmel stand-offs resulted in ugly scenes – with the Clonmel refugee site, being developed with modular homes, the target of several arson attacks.
Tipperary politicians queried the impact on local education, transport and healthcare services which are already stretched to the limit.
Councillor Liam Browne (Ind) warned that he was “appalled” at the lack of communication with local residents and how little heed was being taken of their concerns.
Councillor Declan Burgess said it was “deeply concerning” how the local community was being treated over the issue and kept entirely in the dark.
Councillor Browne queried whether such large-scale accommodation centres in small communities are being driven by the desperation to get refugees out of Dublin.
“We have been saying from the start that it is too many people in too small an area,” he told TippFM.
“We had no local impact needs assessment – there was nothing done, no idea of services.”
“They are talking about putting international protection applicant families into Dundrum but where are those kids going to be minded if those people want to go work in the community?”
“The doctor has already said in Dundrum that he is not going to take on any more patients – he just does not have the capacity to do it.”
In a previous statement, Dundrum House Hotel hit out at what it termed “speculation within the local media and various social media channels” that there was going to be an increase in accommodation numbers at the facility.
“The management at Dundrum House Hotel wish to confirm that there is currently a Ukrainian contract in place to accommodate 277 (people). This contract has been in place since September 2022. Contrary to speculation within the local media and various social media channels, we have in no way agreed to add to or indeed enter discussions concerning an increase of the numbers as stipulated within this existing contract with IPAs.”
The hotel said it was accepting women and children for places created as existing refugees, mostly Ukrainian, leave to return home.
“We wish to allay any fears locally of additional IPAs arriving in Dundrum at this time (The hotel will) accept women and children only to replace the people who have vacated the holiday homes.”