Around 150 to 170 residents protested at the gates of Balllymullen barracks in Tralee last night. The barracks is to house 200 asylum-seekers in 50 mobile homes.
The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, has written to the Chairwoman of Tralee UDC, Ms Norma Foley, to assure residents of "a sensitive" approach and of locating "mainly families" in the barracks.
However, residents say they are against the locating of even one asylum-seeker in the barracks. They have called on the six Kerry TDs, including Mr O'Donoghue, to work to have the decision reversed.