A Spokesperson for Inch residents manning a blockade at both approach roads to Magowna House has branded a proposal from the Department of Integration aimed at lifting the barricade as ‘disingenuous’.
Minister Of State, Joe O’Brien met with a community delegation last night where he requested the lifting of the barricade on the promise that no additional Asylum Seekers will be housed at Magowna in the next four weeks.
Demonstrators in Inch insist the makeshift roadblock in place at both access points to Magowna House is essential to ensure the safety of local residents and Asylum Seekers alike.
The blockade was first erected on Monday in protest of the governments decision to locate 34 Male International Protection Applicants at the rural Mid Clare facility.
Parishioners feel the are is not equipped with the adequate infrastructure or resources required to safely or suitably accommodate a significant population influx, while the government continues to deal with an acute emergency accommodation shortage.
In a bid to solve the impasse, Minister Of State at the Department Of Integration, Joe O’Brien met a local delegation in Ennis last night with the request of lifting the blockade under the condition that no additional Asylum Seekers will be housed at Magowna in the next four weeks.
The proposal is currently under review by the local community, who have also expressed concerns over the buildings fire certificate and sewerage facilities.
Spokesperson for the Inch Demonstrators, Anne Marie Kileen feels Minister O’Brien’s offer is disingenuous.
The government has faced widespread criticism for its lack of consultation on the use of Magowna House , however Minister O’Brien says the time constraints of providing urgent emergency shelter will not always allow for prior local engagement.
The full Morning Focus interview can be listened to below.
