East Wall protest to resume as sides fail to come to agreement
A spokesperson for the community said that "there was a frank exchange of views" but insisted the Government "will have to change its position" in order to avoid future protests at the site. File photo: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie
Protests will resume in the East Wall area of Dublin after a meeting between local representatives and two government ministers failed to reach an agreement.
Locals have expressed frustration that the Government will not give an undertaking to shut down the arrival of asylum seekers to the former ESB building in East Wall.
A spokesperson for the community said that both sides had presented their positions — locals that the facility should be shut and the Government saying that is not feasible — and neither side backed down.
The spokesperson said that "there was a frank exchange of views" but insisted the Government "will have to change its position" in order to avoid future protests at the site.
"We put it to the Government that the facility has to close and they said no. They can't just throw 400 people in an office block. There was no movement from our side or their side. There will be continual protests until this is closed. The reality is you bring 70,000 people in (to the country), it doesn't matter what you do - this a desperation of the Government's own making."
Locals have complained that there was no consultation before the decision to use the building was made. The former office building is being used to house up to 380 men, women, and children who arrived in Ireland seeking international protection.
The first arrivals last week were a group of men from Afghanistan, Somalia, and Nigeria, with up to 380 people, including families, set to be housed at the building as the Government tries to meet the unprecedented demand for accommodation for refugees.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, who is a local TD, thanked the residents for meeting him and Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman. “I want to thank the representatives of the residents of East Wall for meeting Minister O’Gorman and I.
"They raised very important and sensitive matters in a direct and appropriate manner. I recognise that these are deeply important issues for a community that I am privileged to represent in Dáil Éireann.
“I will continue to engage with representatives to provide information and I will do my best to respond appropriately to their concerns.”
A spokesperson for Minister O'Gorman said that he had "provided an overview of the crisis context in which buildings, like the building in East Wall, must be repurposed to provide shelter to those seeking refuge".
Mr O'Gorman said there is "absolutely" a need to keep communities informed on decisions around housing asylum seekers but said Ireland also has a "moral and legal obligation" to house asylum seekers which requires the Government to "act quickly".
He said the alternative was to "leave people without homes". "I think it is also important to say that in Ireland nobody does have a veto in terms of who moves within the neighbourhood or who gets to live within their community."
Meanwhile, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said that Gardaí are monitoring the situation carefully and analysing commentary on social media expressed by some people and groups.
"We are observing some social media commentary in the background of some of this and there is commentary of concern being expressed across social media around certain groups and certain individuals," Commissioner Harris said.
"But we always have, and it's part of our role in national security, a monitoring position on individuals and groups that we feel would pose a threat either in terms of public order or violence. We are watching it carefully and we have no particular concerns at this moment of violence being planned."
