'Nobody gets to say who can or cannot live in their area': Leo Varadkar on Clare blockade

Magowna House,  Inch, Co. Clare on Tuesday where the blockade happened. Picture: Eamon Ward

The Taoiseach has said the blockade in Co. Clare is wrong as he insisted the Government is in lockstep on the issue of immigration, despite a Cabinet row on the issue.

Green Party and Fianna Fáil members clashed at Cabinet as ministers raised concerns that scenes like the blockade of a hotel in Clare would be repeated across the country.

Locals blocked access to the site of the disused Magowna House Hotel in Inch shortly after the arrival of 34 asylum seekers on Monday evening. The asylum seekers were housed at holiday homes on the site

Speaking in Iceland on Wednesday, Leo Varadkar said the blockade is "wrong" but insisted that the Government is cohesive on the issue. Mr Varadkar was not at Cabinet on Tuesday but said there is "a whole-of-government effort when it comes to the issue of Ukraine and migration".

He said Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman was head of the lead department on the issue and had been given "any support that has been asked for".

"A huge amount of money has been set aside for this. The real challenge has been finding accommodation. I don't think it's the case that anyone or any government department is withholding help that they could give," said Mr Varadkar.

The difficulty that we have is that nearly 100,000 people have arrived in Ireland seeking protection in the past year, and we're struggling to find places to shelter them to keep them safe. 

"And there are other demands as well. I think ministers are working very closely together on this. Any time Minister O’ Gorman has approached the Government for help, particularly if it comes around financial help, that's been made available. Where there have been difficulties is getting staff because we have full employment at the moment, and (there is difficulty in) actually finding places to accommodate people because there is a general housing shortage at the moment. I don't think anyone's holding back."

Mr Varadkar went a step beyond his previous comments on the blockade on the roads around the Magowna House Hotel in Inch where 34 asylum seekers had been staying, but stopped short of telling the protesters they should leave.

I do think the blockade is wrong. Nobody should have their free access over public roads stopped in that way. But I also don't want to dismiss the fact that sometimes people in local communities do have genuine concerns that need to be listened to. 

"And that's why there is going to be an engagement today involving the minister, and also local reps, to give communities the information and the reassurance that they need. But it's not a veto. Nobody gets to say who can or cannot live in their area. And we can't have that kind of situation. 

"But I think we shouldn't dismiss concerns that people have about their locality. People do want to know what's happening. They want certain assurances and we have a responsibility to do that. But that doesn't mean that anyone can say that certain types of people can’t live in their area. We can't tolerate that."

Asked if he was calling for the protesters to disperse, Mr Varadkar said: "Let’s see how the talks go today".

Communication

Mr Varadkar went on to say the Government had learned that it "has a responsibility to provide information and to communicate with local people about what's happening in their area" and also to "dispel a lot of the misinformation and false stories that are being put about".

"But we shouldn't not acknowledge what is happening here. There are people who hold extreme views, who hold racist views, essentially, and we have to stand up to that. When it comes to most people, with information and with communication and with assurance, I think you can get them on board.

"But there always will be a small minority of people who have extreme views or have racist views and they need to be stood up to."