Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has condemned the suspected deliberate setting of a fire at a Co Galway hotel on Saturday which was being prepared to accommodate up to 70 asylum seekers.
Mr Varadkar also strongly defended the Government’s policies on refugees and asylum seekers. He said while there had been a “step-change” in the numbers coming into Ireland, creating substantial pressures on accommodation, Government policies were robust and the response of many communities had been incredible.
The Taoiseach said he was deeply concerned at the incident in the Ross Lake House hotel near Oughterard late on Saturday evening. It follows a number of arson attacks since 2018 on properties intended to provide accommodation for those seeking international protection. These have occurred in Moville, Co Donegal; Rooskey, Co Roscommon; and, last month, in Rosslare, Co Wexford.
Mr Varadkar said: “There is no justification for violence, arson or vandalism in our Republic. Ever.”
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In comments that have drawn strong criticism from other politicians, two Fianna Fáil councillors in Co Galway have blamed the Government for creating local tensions over the accommodation of refugees.
“If it was a criminal act, what made that criminal act happen? It was the senseless policy of the Government,” Cllr Seamus Walsh told Galway Bay FM.
“If it was done maliciously, it was absolutely the fear for the safety and wellbeing of their families that drove people to this.”
His colleague, Cllr Noel Thomas, speaking on RTÉ News on Sunday, said the Government had to take the vast majority of the blame for the situation, as they were “not listening to the people”.
He added: “As long as they continue with their actions the way they are going at the moment, we are only going to see more of this.”
Speaking separately to Virgin Media News, Mr Thomas said: “We have flooded the country at the moment. There’s no regulation on how people are being brought into the country and unfortunately people are just fed up with it.”
Both said they did not condone setting fire to the building.
Gardaí believe the fire was set deliberately, and are investigating whether the motive was to prevent the hotel from being used for refugee accommodation. There have been strong condemnations from Government Ministers and leading Opposition figures, including Tánaiste Micheál Martin, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman and Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin.
Galway-based Green Party Senator Pauline O’Reilly strongly criticised the comments of Cllr Walsh and Cllr Thomas and claimed local politicians were “stoking” the fears of people in those localities.
“I would ask everybody to come out and condemn this kind of behaviour because it’s simply not acceptable in our community,” she said.
Fianna Fáil, when contacted about the views expressed by its councillors in the locality, made no comment on the matter.
Defending the Government’s politics and actions, Mr Varadkar said there were robust border controls, and faster processing times and record numbers of refusals for asylum applications.
However, he said, like much of the world, Ireland was dealing with a “big step-change” in the numbers arriving into Ireland. He said this was driven by war, poverty, climate change and human rights abuses in the home countries of asylum seekers.
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“The response from many communities has been incredible. We’ve seen people open their homes, schools, clubs and communities to help those most in need. The people carrying out these crimes are a very small minority.”
Galway West Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív said if the fire had been set deliberately it was “totally wrong and should not have been done”.
Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton, who is a TD for Galway West, said in a statement that violence and criminality was not representative of the views of the overwhelming majority of people in Galway.
Sinn Féin TD Mairéad Farrell said: “I understand that the gardaí are taking the investigation very seriously. This fire has shocked many people across Galway who have been in contact with me over the course of the morning.”
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