Independent TD Michael Lowry has said Roscrea in Co Tipperary is an example of an asylum system that is not working.
Speaking as the Dáil returned, the Tipperary TD said that the town has reached its capacity and Roscrea has been let down by the Government.
The garda public order unit was present outside the hotel while the international protection applicants, understood to be women and children, were being brought into the premises.
There were stand-offs between protesters and gardaí as the operation took place and a significant number of gardaí remained present for some time.
Mr Lowry said today that the Government is now involved in face saving proposals and is making up its policy as it goes along.
He said it is comical politics for a Government to close one hotel and open another but for the sake of the town it should be considered.
Mr Lowry also suggested that a grant-aided private purchase of the property could be looked at.
Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said the Government would work with Tipperary County Council around developing a community hotel.
People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith said the problems seen in Roscrea in recent days were the Government’s fault.
She said she was angry to see the scenes of violence and seeing “women and their children being frightened and bullied and harangued and harassed”.
Why is it happening, she asked. She said that the Government’s housing policy, the lack of delivery on public services had led the anger of ordinary people, whipped up by the lies and viciousness of the far-right, the Nazi supporters who want to blame refugees and people of colour.
Ms Smith said there were echoes of Nazi supporters in the Dáil chamber, and those echoes come from Rural Independents and others in the chamber.
Policy ‘not working’
Independent TD for Tipperary, Mattie McGrath also blamed the Government for its mishandling of the affair.
He said there was a need for a full debate on immigration, saying the policy was not working.
Earlier, Labour’s Aodhán Ó Riordáin said the protests in Roscrea this past week were “regrettable” and that the vast majority of communities have no issue and do not protest when asylum seekers are moved in.
The Dublin Bay North TD said the scenes outside Racket Hall Hotel in Roscrea were shocking and reminiscent of the Deep South or of Holy Cross school in Belfast.
Mr Ó Riordáin said the Government had mishandled the information campaign and while it had got better at communication recently, this issue is going back two years.
He singled out Mr McGrath for his use of the term “colonisation” when referring to refugees.
Social Democrats TD for Wicklow Jennifer Whitmore also criticised Mr McGrath, saying that politicians and local representatives should not abuse their platforms.
Ms Whitmore said leadership from all politicians was needed.
She said the Government’s approach to asylum seekers was “chaotic” and said there had been U-turn after U-turn, pointing to Ballinrobe in Co Mayo where a decision was made to move women and children in to a former hotel, after initially saying that single men would be accommodated.
Ms Whitmore said this would make it very difficult for the Government to house what she called the “600 very vulnerable men” who were turned away from accommodation by the International Protection Application Service recently.
She called for a template for integration in communities going forward.
Rebuild and recover
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne Fianna Fáil Councillor for Tipperary Michael Smith said the town needed to rebuild after recent events.
“The scenes on Monday do not represent the majority of people in Roscrea,” he said.
“Our town has to work to recover. We have to work on the ground that has been lost, to try to start to rebuild the image and the character of the people of Roscrea over the last few days.
“That image will be with us for a long, long time.”
Also speaking on Today with Claire Byrne Roscrea dentist Pádraig Ó Reachtagáin said he welcomed any improvement to the infrastructure of the town.
“We have seen the deprivation of Roscrea increase over the last 30 years since I came here,” he said.
“We really need something to improve matters.”
Mr Ó Reachtagáin stressed that the town did not have sufficient dental or medical services to accommodate its population.
“It does not matter what colour your skin is or where you are from when you turn up at my door, we expect to be able to deliver a level of service and we cannot. And it has been getting worse and worse and worse,” he said.
“We were not able before any of the asylum seekers, refugees arrived in Roscrea, we were not able to deliver a dental service to the people of Roscrea because of the cutbacks that the medical card schemers have seen,” he added.
