Protesters in Clare call on Taoiseach to apologise for remarks
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar suggested some people who live near asylum accommodation might believe that 'brown men [are] a threat to women, and nothing could be further from the truth'. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Protestors in Co Clare who have been blockading a hotel which is to be used to house refugees have called on the Taoiseach to apologise for remarks he made, which they say have shown them in a bad light.
As tensions between the protestors and the Government escalated yesterday, the junior minister for integration Joe O'Brien travelled to the Magowna House Hotel in Inch, Co Clare, to meet with the locals who have protested the use of the facility to house refugees.
When Mr O'Brien departed, the blockade was to remain in place, but he committed to returning in a few weeks' time to speak to locals again, and noted that "no additional people" will arrive at the facility in the interim period.
The residents had voiced concerns after remarks made by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Justice Minister Simon Harris.
They say they do not just object to the number of refugees â currently 28 but due to rise to 62 in weeks â being housed at the hotel complex.
They are also upset about the way they were not told or consulted in advance, and they insist they would feel the same if it was 28 Irish males.
The Taoiseach was asked by RTĂ yesterday morning to expand on a remark he made recently about local communities, in general, that object to âcertain types of peopleâ.
He was asked on RTĂâs to explain what he meant during a section of the interview about the protests in Inch, near Ennis.
Patrick OâMalley, one of the protesters who listened to the Taoiseachâs interview with Ms Byrne, said he felt Mr Varadkar had portrayed protestors as racists, and called on him to apologise for his remarks.
Mr Varadkar insisted at the beginning of the interview that he was not in any way suggesting the protesters were racists.
But when asked to explain what he meant by âcertain types of peopleâ that some communities might object to being housed near them, he said they could be âsingle malesâ or âpeople from outside Europeâ.
He also suggested some people in local communities near asylum accommodation might also believe that âbrown men [are] a threat to women, and nothing could be further from the truthâ.
Mr OâMalley said Mr Varadkarâs comments âappear to implyâ that he and his fellow protesters hold the views Mr Varadkar was referring to.
âHe may not have said it in so many words, but he implied that we are those types of people,â a resident said.
âHe should apologise for making those remarks.
âHe is completely missing the entire point of our protest.
âWe are not anti-immigration, but we do object to the sheer scale of what is going on here, in an area that is already lacking in amenities and services.
âWe are also very annoyed that nobody bothered to talk to us before the refugees were moved in.
Mr OâMalley also called on Justice Minister Simon Harris to apologise for his remarks in relation to Inch.
Mr Harris was asked on RTĂâs if he would be willing to meet the protestors in Inch.
He said he would, but added: âQuite frankly, thereâs been 125 anti-immigration protests in Dublin alone, let alone the rest of the countryâ.
Mr OâMalley said: âWe have repeatedly made it clear we are not anti-immigration.
Asked about whether this came up in his meeting with residents in Ennis last night, minister of State Joe OâBrien said: âSome of the people werenât happy with how they have been portrayed.â
