It will be ten days before any people seeking asylum are moved into Dundrum House Hotel according to Councillor Roger Kennedy. The revelation was made at a public meeting in Dundrum Scout Hall last night that was attended by almost 300 people. The meeting was called by two local women opposed to the creation of an IPAS accommodation centre in Dundrum House Hotel complex which is currently used to house over 200 Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTP).
The meeting heard that the hotel owner had applied to have additional BOTP or Ukrainian refugees in the facility and that Tipperary County Council refused to support this application in December 2023 on the grounds that additional people in the village would put an overburdening strain on services. The meeting was attended by Cllrs Roger Kennedy, Declan Burgess, Mary Hanna Hourigan and John Crosse and Local Election Candidates Liam Browne, John McGrath, John O’Heney and Peadar O’Donnell. Deputy Mattie McGrath arrived at 9pm as the Dáil was in session. The meeting was chaired by Dave O’Meara who clarified that a protest announced for the gates of Dundrum House Hotel on Sunday is not connected to the group holding last night’s meeting.
Cllr Kennedy also raised concerns about appropriate fire safety certification being in place for the rooms intended to be used for the current Ukrainian refugees who have been moved to a different building in the complex in recent days. The owner of the hotel Geoff Leo was contacted by the meeting organisers but declined to attend. Some members of the Rackett Hall protest in Roscrea also attended and advised not to set up a committee but to stand as one group in opposition to the development of an IPAS Centre. Each of the public representatives and candidates present gave a commitment to stand with the community in opposition to the creation of an IPAS centre in the hotel.
The Department issued a 7 page briefing document about the planned location of 80 asylum seekers in Dundrum. Members of the public asked for this to be circulated and were informed that Deputy Martin Browne has shared the document on social media. The meeting organisers were also given the document by Tipp Mid-West Radio.
L-R Cllr Mary Hanna, Declan Burgess, Candidate John O’Heney, Roger Kennedy and LE Candidate Liam Browne, standing L- R Dave O’Meara and Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath.
