Former Mayo hotel to be used for refugee families, not single men

Protestors outside Gannon's Hotel in Ballinrobe yesterday after their campaign had been stood down. Picture: Conor McKeown

The hotel at the centre of a protest in Ballinrobe, Co Mayo, will be used to house families and children, the Department of Integration says.

A protest has been taking place since Friday outside the former JJ Gannon’s Hotel on Main Street in the town of Ballinrobe after it emerged that there were plans to accommodate 50 international protection applicants in the building from this coming Monday.

Following the news from the Department, the protestors have decamped claiming victory in their campaign.

The plan involved using 12 rooms to accommodate 50 adult male asylum seekers. The lease was to be for a period of one year. On Monday, a department spokesperson said that the facility will no longer be used to house exclusively single men.

"The Department’s contract for accommodation in Ballinrobe to provide temporary shelter to International Protection applicants in JJ Gannon’s Hotel is proceeding. It is intended that up to 50 people in need of shelter will be accommodated at the premises. 

While initially earmarked for adult males, there is now an acute shortage of accommodation for families and children and it is now intended to place families into this property over the coming days.

"A full briefing document with details was issued to local TDs, Cllrs, and Senators on January 4. This was done by the Department's Community Engagement Team in advance of the accommodation being used. 

"Emergency centres such as this one in Ballinrobe have been opened in all parts of the country. There have been over 190 accommodation locations utilised since January 2022 across 26 counties. These options must be considered to prevent homelessness for people arriving seeking international protection."

It said the situation in relation to accommodation for International Protection applicants "remains extremely challenging".

"The Department does not have enough accommodation to offer to many newly arrived IP applicants at present," it added.

Frank Keane, the chairman of the town's Community Development Council, told RTÉ radio's News At One that the news would see an end to the protest, but added that there had been calls by "someone he doesn't recognise" to continue it.

Michelle Forde, a leading protestor, said that Ballinrobe "welcome families" and is a "welcoming town". 

Local Fianna Fáil councillor Damian Ryan said Ballinrobe is a multi-cultural town with many different communities who have been "completely embraced", but people were taken by surprise by the plans and said there was no consultation on them.

He said the town has already accepted a lot of refugees and has empathy for those in need.

Local businesswoman Carla O’Connor, who was actively involved in the protest, also welcomed the breakthrough.

She said: “Ballinrobe has been a welcoming destination for migrants who have settled in well and shown hospitality.

“But the plan to house 50 men of unknown nationality in the centre of a small town with a crèche close by is certainly inappropriate.

“The people of the town are very uncomfortable with that”, she noted, adding: “We will welcome the families when they arrive”.