Sinn Féin TD for Galway East, Louis O’Hara, has said that there are concerns within the local community in Kinvara regarding the agreement to provide IPAS accommodation at the Merriman Hotel. O’Hara will meet with the Department of Integration tomorrow regarding this matter.
Speaking yesterday, Deputy O’Hara said there has been an agreement made by the Department of Integration to provide IPAS accommodation for families in the Merriman Hotel, Kinvara.
“There are many concerns in the local community about this – the total lack of engagement and consultation with the local community in advance of this decision being made, the impact this will have on the current Ukrainian residents and the fact that this is the only hotel in Kinvara, a village which relies hugely on tourism.
“Senior Government representatives, including An Taoiseach, have given assurances that contracts would not be agreed with operators of hotels in rural villages where such accommodation was the sole hotel.
“That has not been followed in this instance and the economic impact of this on the village clearly has not been considered.
“I have secured a meeting with the Department tomorrow morning and I will be putting these issues to them and saying very clearly that they need to reconsider these plans and engage with the local community in Kinvara as a matter of urgency,” he said.
