Anti-migrant groups scouring planning sites for data on migrant centres

A fire broke out at the Old Patrician primary school on Rocklow Road in Fethard on Wednesday at around 9.20pm. It's understood that gardaí are investigating if the fire was caused by local youths who are known to have been drinking for some time in the abandoned building. Picture: McCarthy's of Fethard/Facebook

Anti-immigration activists are using publicly available online planning applications to find out where people seeking international protection will be housed, the Irish Examiner has learned.

Documents on local authority websites have been circulated on social media by protestors. Local government planning portals allow members of the public to download planning applications, rejections and approvals. Appeals to An Bord Pleanála and their outcomes are also available.

A source told the Irish Examiner: “A number of properties have been viewed and a detailed description shows exactly what the the purpose of the building is. While the system is easy to navigate, it's now being used to view potential temporary accommodation centres for members of IPAS”.

Three fires have taken place at vacant buildings around the country in recent weeks. These include a former hotel in Rosscahill in Galway which was set on fire before Christmas shortly after locals were informed it was due to house refugees and asylum seekers.

Earlier on Thursday, gardai confirmed they were investigating a fire at a disused school in Tipperary. The fire broke out at the Old Patrician primary school on Rocklow Road in Fethard on Wednesday at around 9.20pm.

Three units of the fire brigade from Cashel and Clonmel spent several hours trying to bring the blaze under control. It is understood significant damage was caused to the building which had been left idle for a number of years.

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The property itself was recently boarded up due to “anti-social behaviour” according to locals. One person, who lives close to the former school said the building was in a “very bad” state for several years.

“There are rumours that it was to be used as some type of refugee or asylum centre, but I understand they are misguided. There are a lovely group of Ukrainian refugees being looked after in the town and they have really integrated well.” 

However, it's understood that gardaí are investigating if the fire was caused by local youths who are known to have been drinking for some time in the abandoned building.

Investigators are aware of speculation as to other possible motives, but believe the most likely cause might be from local teenagers lighting a fire.

Last Sunday morning a disused pub in Ringsend was deliberately set on fire. The building was to be converted for homeless families according to the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, but rumours circulated that it was to house asylum seekers and protests followed.

One protestor told the Irish Examiner that they held a meeting recently to discuss their concerns but "no politician or member of the council bothered to show up and we weren't told anything".

Speaking on Thursday afternoon, the Minister for Further and Higher Education said better communication from authorities would not have made "a blind bit of difference" in preventing the fire.

Simon Harris said there was an "extremely worrying trend" happening where vacant buildings were being set on fire on purpose and that gardaí were taking the matter "extraordinarily seriously".

The disused Shipwright pub which was set n fire in Ringsend, Dublin, after rumours circulated that it was to house asylum seekers. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins

He said: "What we're seeing happening in this country right now — and I acknowledge that all political parties absolutely utterly condemn this — but what we're seeing is an extremely worrying trend happening, where on an all-too-frequent basis, arson attacks are happening on vacant buildings.

"We've seen it in urban areas, we've seen it in rural areas. But we just need to be very, very careful that we don't ever get to any sort of whataboutery in relation to some of what we have seen in this country."

He said it was "extremely worrying, at a time of a real shortage of housing supply".

"It is an extremely serious and concerning situation, and I know it's being treated by the gardaí as such."

Asked about comments by Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, who called for an "open, democratic conversation" on immigration, Mr Harris said that immigration was debated "on a very regular basis".

"Government ministers get asked about it on a regular basis, it gets discussed in the Dáil on a regular basis and I don't know what an open debate on immigration means," he said.

He added that people who were behind the fires "don't do it in our name".

He said:

I think we just have to be really clear on this: what is the motivation of these people, other than to cause fear, terror, panic, divide, reduce the amount of housing supply in the middle of a housing emergency?

"It needs to be called out for what it is".