As Gardai maintain a strong presence at Thornton Hall, there have been a number of meetings with local councillors in Meath and Fingal this week, to update councillors. Both Meath and Fingal engaged on zoom meetings that were held separately by the Department of Integration. There were at least seven Councillors from Meath serving Ashbourne and Ratoath Municipal Districts.
Meath Live understands that many questions raised by councillors voicing their concerns were met with lack of detail as to how the the centre would be managed.
Indeed Cllrs Bonner, Killian, Toole and O’Reilly came away from the Zoom meeting with the feeling the they had learnt little.
In fact Cllr Bonner voiced his annoyance and dissatisfaction to how all the councillors are being treated. It was as though the department had contempt for them. ”Do they not realise we represent the local community, we understand the fear that is in the community. The department is not shown due respect for the lack of in-depth knowledge of what exactly will happen. Cllr Nick Killian pointed out his ‘Deep disappointment the way they were being treated and ask the question, Where are the local deputies, McEntee, Byrne, and O’Rourke, there are two who are in government and they are hiding from the issues , when they too should be involved, They are hearing first hand from Roderick O’Gorman. Do they realise it is our communities that elected them. They should remember that fact!
In some of the information made available by the two members of the department of Integration they did confirm the following;
There will be six tents to house 40 people initially, giving a number of 240 in the coming five to six weeks. By December there will be a further 440 people accommodated at Thornton Hall. That will give a total at that stage of 680 people. It will be managed by a company called IEMS and staffed 24/7 in tents with modular homes to be provided. They could not confirm the number of people that would be managing and working on site. Sewage would be stored in bulk tanks and removed on a regular basis with a permanent system installed later. There would be security on site again no detail was provided as to numbers. Swords Garda Station would be the policing the centre.
With regard to transport the 103 Bus Service will operate for the applicants on the N2, Cllr Bonner again reiterated the massive problems and poor service. There is no shelter, no lightening or pavement, just a bus sign and is expected to deal with all the additional people.
When Thornton Hall was announced as an IPA Centre, the department claimed applicants would be bussed by an independent transport, now it will by Bus Eireann,
Cllr Killian confirmed he had spoken to Adrian O’Loughlin of Bus Eireann, ”there is on agreement in place” was what he remarked.
Cllr Caroline O’Reilly, has spoken of her “grave concern with the lack of clarity” following a meeting for local public representatives today (15 th August). This meeting was held by the Community Engagement Teamof DCEDIY about the commencement of works at Thornton Hall .Speaking following the meeting, Cllr O’Reilly said: “I am really shocked with the lack of clarity from the Community Engagement Team today. I don’t feel more informed, I feel more concerned with the clear lack of preparation and consideration for the complexity of issues being faced by the local communities and by the vulnerable people seeking International Protection status. I truly believe that the Community Engagement Team will have to do a lot better.” Cllr O’Reilly raised several issues at the meeting and intends to follow these up with the Minister, as answers were not provided by the officials from his Department.
Cllr Tormey and Cllr Toole asked how where the people expected to sleep in the location given the noise pollution. The response was ‘They would have to look into that’
Councillors were all in agreement too that the people needed to be cared foe in a proper and fair way but the department need to realise the local community has fears and concerns, with the fact that hundreds of single male applicants, will be coming into the area. They are frightened, the Councillors are being kept pretty much in the dark and by their own admission there are many issues to be sorted out and clarified.
Most councillors came away with more questions than answers. They, (CET), did admit too, that this is an emergency situation, that the government find itself in and they are trying to cope with the situation as it is developing.
