Although it was not listed as an item for discussion on the agenda of the Ballina MD meeting on Wednesday last, Cllr Jarlath Munnelly advised management that talk of 200 male refugees being placed in an industrial unit in Moyvalley Retail Park in the town, would be raised by councillors in the course of proceedings.
Subsequently, Cllr Munnelly, addressing Director of Services for Ballina MD and also for Housing, Tom Gilligan, stated: "I wish to raise this matter as it is causing a lot of concern and anxiety in Ballina and also, there is an awful lot of anger.
"At our last meeting, you said you contacted the Department to tell them what buildings are vacant in Ballina town. Of course there is a humanitarian need around this situation, but you are acting as an agent and going out and seeing if they are interested in a property.
"Moyvalley was clearly built as an industrial unit and that is what it is suitable for. I am aware, under planning, you can use any buildings for refugees, which is bringing its own problems, as I have been in some of these and they are far from suitable for what’s going on.
"We just want some clarity. The proactive agent role being played by Mayo County Council in this has to stop. There are a number of places in Mayo where refugees have come in and people have responded very well. Don’t take from that that people are happy with what is going on; it is because it is the right thing to do. Also, the agencies who work with them, don’t take their willingness to work with them on this as a licence to bring loads more people into the county; their services are stretched as it is.
"We can’t be telling communities, look, this is your responsibility and you have to go with this. There should be consultation and not the council telling people they should not have these attitudes. People need support and not animosity and conflict about what is coming into this country."
Cllr Mark Duffy said: "Just to add, it was disappointing at the council meeting held in Knockmore that this plan for Moyvalley Retail Park to house refugees was communicated to us by a member of the public. We as public representatives should not be hearing of this second hand; we should be aware of what is going on because sometimes there are rumours and without proper information, we cannot confirm or deny if it is true once we hear it. I know there are frustrations with businesses and residents in the area of the retail park, but that is my main frustration, the lack of communication and clarity. It doesn’t do anyone any favours."
Cllr John O'Hara said: "I've been getting phonecalls on this over the past couple of weeks, both from businesses and residents. They hear it is 200 men coming, they say it is an invasion beside them. Some are young families with teenagers there. If it is 187 men together, how can they put that together and the humanitarian aspects, toilets, washing facilities; where will they be during the day, will they walking up and down, gangs of them? People in that industrial estate are contracted there for three years, but having to see people walking up and down in front of them every day, will they renew, or will they move. Others are wondering will the other units there be kept for business. It is frightening. We don’t know who is coming; almost 200 men, that is not nice in my mind, it's like a jail. We need to know who they are and their background. They might be the best of people but people up there need to know who is coming beside them and they're not happy. The residents up there are just outside the wall and they are frightened; they are being told nothing."
Cllr Annie May Reape said: "It's a very difficult situation in town, and you (to Tom Gilligan MCC ), don’t seem to care; that’s what bothers me, We are not at all happy with the responses you are giving at meetings; there should at least be cooperation. I have heard different stories about who is coming in. Have you discussed this with the local medical centres and doctors, about looking after children, who can’t even take in their own patients at the moment? There are 12 elderly residents up there all their life, there was already a protest meeting in Killala, where a windfarm was forced on the people there, without any consultation. All we get is a little email from you every now and then, but we know nothing about what is going on in Ballina.
"You are our director of this town; you should be working with us and cooperating with the town, instead of us having people ringing us and crying on the phone, women and elderly men. Now I have had calls from two businesses in the retail park there, telling me they are ready to pull out and move to Castlebar, where there will be no rates coming to Ballina anymore, and you are cause of the loss of that.
"The truth is Mayo County Council is benefiting from this in a financial way" - Cllr Michael Loftus
"We are told they are coming from a wartorn country and we have to accept that; but it's going to have to stop; this is not going to happen, you know Tom, this is being forced on us, like in Killala; a wind farm, where planning permission was refused over the years. We are in a vacuum all the time. We want a response here today that it is not happening or is being scaled down. We don’t allow any contractors to build more than 50 houses without outline planning permission yet this is for 200 people."
Cllr Michael Loftus said he agreed with all that had been said, adding: "The worst thing is just the ignorance around not telling people what is actual happen, the lack of information. You saw in Ballycastle they put 200 people and here is another influx of 200 to the town. What will that do? We don’t have the services in that location there. I happened to see two patrol cars outside one of the places they are housed. They get in to this country with a passport yet get off the plane with no passport, so we have to question why they are let into this county.
"The truth is Mayo County Council is benefiting from this in a financial way. At the West Mayo MD meeting it was said the financial reward the council gets for getting all these locations is huge. I really am worried. Tom, you were asked at the other other meeting where were the other locations and you didn’t want to tell us, as you didn’t think it appropriate we know, but you should tell us."
Cathaoirleach Cllr Seamus Weir said: "I got lots of calls from business people in the area concerned about this going back a while. They believe 200 males is the information they have going in there, as residents. To wind back the clock, this time last year, we had taken in a total of 450 refugees, between the Great National Hotel in Ballina, the Pontoon Bridge Hotel and Knockmore. Whatever about the hotels, we can take that; but moving into an industrial place, it is hard to believe people will be living in there. You have to take the businesses into consideration. We can’t just shut down the country. We know the humanitarian aspect and of course, we feel for them, but you can't just push them into a place and leave them.
"I know you are doing your best; but where is the money coming from; who are they; why are they leaving their countries? There is war everywhere, we should get more information. The government has responsibility for this and should be giving us guidance. They are getting away with this, but it is the government that is doing this. The information is not clear. We don’t know, why, or what is happening; we know nothing. I think Tom, my advice is you go back to the Department and tell them the anger and pressure you are under and that we need to get the information here. I was told that Mayo County Council will get €3.2 million for giving over that building."
As the debate rumbled on with no resolution on offer, Cathaoirleach Seamus Weir concluded the discussion, saying: "We’ve got to move on."
