The announcement that 80 refugees from Congo will be settling in Ireland next year has moved Mayo Fine Gael TD John O’Mahony and his party colleague Cllr John Cribbin to call for the Government to fulfil its promises to develop the infrastructure of Ballyhaunis to enable the town to deal with the hundreds of asylum seekers currently living in the town.
The 80 Congolese refugees will spend the first six weeks of their lives in Ireland based in the National Orientation Centre for Refugees in Ballyhaunis before settling in a yet un-named Irish town.
According to Deputy O’Mahony the minister responsible for cultural integration, Conor Lenihan, last year promised both the deputy and Cllr Cribbin along with local community groups that he would support Government initiatives for investment in the town.
“That’s a year ago now and still there has been little or no sign of any investment. The people of Ballyhaunis have played a significant role in facilitating the integration of asylum seekers into our country and now it’s time that the Government played their part. The problems that existed in the town in relation to lack of infrastructural facilities a year ago are still there and with more people expected to settle in the area in the not so distant future, we believe it’s time that the Government acted on its promises,” he said.
Dep O’Mahony said he would continue to raise the issue in the Dáil. “The people of Ballyhaunis deserve to be listened to and along with Cllr Cribbin I can promise them that I will continue to highlight this issue until something is done for them,” he said.
