Taoiseach responds to public meeting over 700 new arrivals into Breaffy
"Putin does not like a democracy on his doorstep"
The massive influx of more than 60,000 new arrivals into Ireland without notice or consultation is about democracy, according to An Taoiseach.
Responding to a public meeting discussing the arrival of 700 people into the west of Ireland village of Breaffy, Co Mayo, Micheál Martin told RTE radio today: (Nov 14)
“This is about democracy. Putin does not like a democracy on his doorstep.”
Around 100 people attended a meeting in the county town of Castlebar, Co Mayo on Friday night to vent their frustration over the clandestine manner in which their community has been irrevocably changed.
Further investigation reveals that a doctor at Mayo General Hospital has spent two nights sleeping in his car having been locked out of his apartment within the Breaffy Woods Hotel complex.
A father of five will no longer allow his children walk up through the village unaccompanied.
And repeated appeals for information from TD’s, the local authority and government agencies have resulted in eerie silence.
Just two members of Mayo County Council showed up at the Ivy Tower Hotel on Friday night, Michael Kilcoyne (Independent) and Blackie Gavin (FF).
Councillor Donna Sheridan sent a message of apology for being unable to attend.
Organiser Stephen Kerr, who runs the Irish Inquiry media platform, was subjected to a week long campaign of abuse and threats for publicising his intention to hold the meeting. Gardaí were informed of the possibility of trouble arising from this activity ahead of the meeting. The hotel that hosted the meeting endured a similar campaign of calls and emails urging cancellation, resulting in the implementation of a private security firm on the night.
“This is what Putin wants, that populations across Europe will start reacting negatively to their governments, creating political issues and so on like that,” Mr Martin told presenter Claire Byrne in response to a query about local concerns over 700 new arrivals into Breaffy on RTE Radio this morning.
The EU, according to Fianna Fail leader’s logic, requires communities across the country to stay silent over their lack of access to housing and their local GP. They should stay quiet about their school systems shuddering under the weight of 11,000 new students in the space of six months.
Because if they speak up, they fall prey to a Russian trap, that will ‘undermine the resolve of European member states to Stand with Ukraine.’
An Taoiseach corrected himself twice during the radio interview, which is set against growing resentment of government policies that see Ukrainian arrivals housed in four star hotels, in receipt of full benefits, while Irish people sleep in cars and tents on the streets of towns across the country.
Meanwhile, the 220 asylum seekers newly arrived in Breaffy, are sleeping in a converted sports arena beneath a corrugated roof.
“Government will be communicating... Government is communicating and government will continue to communicate with communities the length and breadth of the country. But again this war broke out in March. I would say overall this has been a very strong response by Ireland. Yes we can do things better, in terms of reconfiguration of buildings, rapid house building and also in terms of services,” he said.
Is An Taoiseach concerned ‘as the cost of living crisis bites more over the winter that there might be an increase in anti-immigrant sentiment?’
“We need to hold our nerve against Putin,” he replied in response to Byrne’s question.
Asked about the delivery of rapid-build housing for Ukrainian refugees, Mr Martin said ‘we are going to have to build houses far more rapidly than we are.’
“Given the volume – no given the issues facing us, the growing population, we are going over five million,” he said.
Volume is clearly the issue, along with vetting, access to services and an absolute dearth of information available to communities, none of whom have been consulted in advance of new arrivals, be they Ukrainian or International Protection Applicants.
Locals fear being labelled racist, bigoted, fascist and ‘far-right’ - an undefined term the Taoiseach himself used in a press conference two weeks ago.
Congolese native Eddie Kimpwene, who arrived in Castlebar 25 years ago and set up a recruitment agency, made sure to clarify to delegates attending Friday night’s meeting that he is in fact not racist.
“I came to this country 25 years ago, I work hard. I am not racist. I got a warm welcome in Castlebar. The way things are going in Castlebar, we have to talk about it. As long as we don’t speak as one voice in this town, we are sinking.
“We see that now. The council cannot explain to us how many refugees are coming. When you go to ask the questions, there is no explanation.
“When I came in this country 25 years ago, the Irish got good information that we were coming.
“How come now they are hiding? That means there is something dodgy going on.
“Because if they cannot explain what is going on in our community at this time, that means there is something going on. I am just asking questions. Normally the council is supposed to be here answering questions. Where are they?”
“Even the conditions they are going to put the refugees in are not really suitable. What are they hiding? There is something wrong man and if we don’t speak as one we will sink. You go to the police they cannot explain it. There is something dodgy going on,” Mr Kimpwene said.
Breaffy native Gerard Bourke is a father of five children aged from seven up to 22.
“The seven year old I wouldn’t dream of letting her up around Breaffy House now not even with her older siblings. The eldest used to walk along the paths around Breaffy House on her way home from college but now she’s afraid to. It’s a scary place at the minute and I mean that.”
Asked after the meeting to clarify what exactly was scary about the place, Mr Bourke said the issue was around Garda vetting.
“I am afraid for the safety of my family,” he said.
Steel barricades and fencing along with the 24 hour presence of private security officers forms part of the unsettling atmosphere.
Noel Kennedy and his partner Tara moved into an apartment adjacent to Breaffy House Hotel last September. They rent their home directly from the landlord that owns it.
“I’m not really a nervous speaker but I am about this because I really am afraid to live there at the minute. When we try to leave our house, we have to pass security. They give us hassle, we were shouted and sworn at one morning leaving for work. I’m told that security guard has been fired.
“We arrive back and they stare at us for a minute or two. Then they come over and you get the torch shining in and a statement: ‘What’s your reason for being on site?’ that’s what we hear.
“This was a residential area and we’ve been very compliant with all the changes taking place - live and let live - but it’s actually come to the point where this week, a friend trying to visit has been told its residents only.
“It’s very scary for us. If there is nothing to be scared of that’s fine, just tell me. But when I ask the security anything, like why they are treating us like this, it’s ‘go and ask the hotel, we are not allowed provide you with this information.’
“When I go to the hotel, they tell me they are a private security company and it’s nothing to do with them. So we are not told anything,” she said.
Tara was in the apartment one evening when someone tried to open the door.
“This has really spooked me, I haven’t slept properly for a week because now I am really scared there. It’s that there is no reassurance behind any of it. This is our reality at the minute. There is nowhere else obviously for us to go. So we are stuck there.”
Speaking after the meeting, Tara told how her neighbour, a doctor at Mayo University Hospital, has had to sleep in his car twice after arriving home late to find the main door to the apartment complex locked.
Cllr Michael Kilcoyne said he had a letter stating that a government decision was made on June 28 2022 regarding ‘the roll out of a modular homes programme to contribute to the states humanitarian efforts.’
“They are asking for your cooperation and they are saying this is what we are doing. No discussions. The TD’s haven’t met us, haven’t met any county councillors, they haven’t come to brief us at a council meeting.
“So we don’t have any information. Us as councillors have no say whatsoever. But we are galled that for example, the government has decided that modular homes can be built and at the same time when our people want planning permission on a father or mother’s farm, they can’t get it.
“We are concerned about refugees. We don’t want people affected by war thrown on the scrap heap. We want the services put in place for them. They are affected the same as Irish people are affected because tonight, there are people from this town sleeping in their cars because they have nowhere else to sleep, they can’t afford to pay the rent,” he said.
Cllr Kilcoyne said he had a couple approach him last week who had been taken off the social housing list, because they had gone over the €25,000 income limit.
Secretary for the Irish Freedom Party Daithí Ó Fallamháin highlighted the difference between refugees and asylum seekers and said the issue needs to be dealt with on a national scale.
“All anybody has to do to be an asylum seeker is show up at the airport and say, I seek asylum. So they start to be processed from there. The media especially likes to use the word ‘migrant’ so you are not knowing which is which,” he said.
Gerry O’Neill of The West’s Awake substack dealt with this distinction in his article on this topic last week:
Micheál Martin spoke about the numbers of people that have arrived into Ireland this year in his interview with Claire Byrne this morning.
“Up to 63,000 Ukrainians have come into the country, about 46,000 have been housed by the state and the people. There are around 17,000 in direct provision or international protection who have come into the country compared to 7,500 last year, so these are extraordinary numbers. Unprecedented in terms of anything we have experienced in our past.”
It’s not clear where the 17,000 unaccounted for Ukrainians in his figures are living, whether they are in private rented accommodation or returned home to Ukraine.
But if these figures are correct, it means 63,000 Ukrainians plus 17,000 asylum seekers arrived into Ireland this year, a total of 80,000 arrivals into the state in 2022.
Asked if he will engage with the people of Breaffy who attended Friday night’s meeting, An Taoiseach said:
“Yes we will engage with communities up and down the country we appreciate the response, it has been extraordinary and very positive.
“To that end, we would support those communities in other ways in terms of cultural and sporting structures, in acknowledgement and recognition of the efforts they have made.
“Already some of it has happened through various agencies, it is an additional resource that will happen through established channels,” he said.
“So there will be a thank you to those communities for those who have gone above and beyond?” Claire Byrne asked.
“The government met on this last week and we acknowledge in certain areas, significant responses have happened and we do need to be responsive to that and acknowledge that.
“So there may be a new sports hall coming down the track but you can’t see your GP?” Byrne probed.
“The community response to Ukrainians fleeing war has been extraordinary. It has been very positive.
“That’s something we should encourage and nurture and the government is anxious to do that.
“On the GP services, many people in the medical community have reached out and have been very generous in their response, outside the call of duty and have come forward to help Ukrainians in terms of their primary care needs,” Mr Martin said, appearing to miss the point that it is both Ukrainians and Irish that will suffer due to inadequate medical services.
For his part, Stephen Kerr achieved something extraordinary in holding the public meeting despite an instruction from members of Breaffy Community Council that locals should not attend, something Cllr Kilcoyne described as ‘disappointing.’
“They sent out advice to people saying don’t attend these meetings. Who is Breaffy Community Council to say to people don’t attend meetings?
“Nobody has the right to say to anybody in a democracy, don’t go to a meeting,” he said.
The planning of a second public meeting is underway, whereby a committee will be established to represent the needs of the Breaffy community.
__________________________________________
*This work is unpaid, if you appreciate it click here to buy me a coffee
Further reading on this topic :
“This is about democracy. Putin does not like a democracy on his doorstep.”….
As no local person in any part of Ireland was ever given a vote on whether or not they wanted 100s of strangers wedged into their communities, I’d say Martin’s comment rings a little hollow.
The fear tactics used to stifle public communities debating is shocking. Kudos to all up there who attended.