Gatherings outside temporary accommodation centres amount to 'intimidation', says Harris
The Travelodge in Ballymun has been used for emergency accommodation for some time, and families are among those currently being accommodated at that location.
People gathering outside temporary accommodation centres for migrants are not protests but are tantamount to “intimidation,” Justice Minister Simon Harris has said.
Speaking in Dublin, Mr Harris said it is wrong to call the gatherings in Ballymun and East Wall in recent weeks protests.
“The first thing is to be very careful calling these protests and in my mind, that's not what they are," he said.
"People who turn up outside a building that is providing temporary shelter for people, including women and children, and start saying things like ‘get them out’ or ‘out, out, out’. That is not a protest, in my view, in my view, that's intimidation.”
He said such actions are not reflective of the communities in which such centres are located and he thanked Lord Mayor of Dublin Caroline Conroy for her excellent leadership during the issue.
“She very clearly and articulately made the point of the importance of working with communities and the importance of keeping communities informed of important information, but not allowing anybody to hijack the viewpoints of a community,” he said.
He said gardaí are taking these matters very seriously. The Justice Minister added: “One of my primary responsibilities is to ensure the safety of all individuals in this country and that includes people who have come here, seeking refuge under the international protection programme.”
He said Ireland is not unique in experiencing challenges in meeting the demands of those arriving here and said governments are operating in real time and delivering imperfect solutions to a complex issue.
He said the overriding sense he has is that the people of Ireland wish to support those arriving here.
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