Irish Examiner view: Wisest move would be for county council to withdraw its motion

The motion passed by Mayo County Council amounts to a refusal to allow the law of the land to be applied in that part of Ireland and the precedent is a very dangerous one

There has been a recent escalation of tensions around asylum seekers and refugees. Picture: Conor McKeown

The decision taken by Mayo County Council earlier this week may be one of the most extraordinary ever taken by a local authority in Ireland, even if one accepts how competitive that field is.

A motion was passed by the council a couple of days ago which calls on staff to stop co-operating with the Department of Integration when it comes to housing asylum seekers.

In recent weeks, we have seen an escalation of tensions when it comes to asylum seekers and refugees, with a hotel set alight in Galway and physical clashes outside another venue in Tipperary. Unsurprisingly, these have garnered plenty of attention and have been held up as evidence that we are entering a dangerous period in Irish life.

The motion passed by the Mayo council may not appear to be as dramatic at first, but in fact it is a stunning challenge to the power of the Government all the same. If a local authority flatly refuses to co-operate with a Government department we are in unprecedented territory, as noted by one of the councillors in Mayo.

“We don’t know what the implications are,” said Fine Gael’s Peter Flynn of the decision. “But it certainly will make the job of Government that bit more difficult when it comes to Mayo.”

The arson and violence seen elsewhere when it comes to refugees may be the epitome of headline news, but this development is every bit as concerning. One of the points made about some anti-migrant demonstrations is that certain activities, such as road blocks and occupying private property, are offences punishable by law, though until now gardaí have been notably reluctant to escalate tensions at such demonstrations.

This decision by Mayo County Council amounts to a refusal to allow the law of the land to be applied in that part of Ireland. In this instance, the council is focused on the Department of Integration, but the precedent is a very dangerous one. If Mayo County Council disagrees with new legislation on driving, for instance, will it refuse to co-operate with the gardaí?

Withdrawing this motion before there are serious consequences would be the wisest course of action for the local authority in question.

Playing with political dynamite

As reported in this newspaper yesterday by Ciara Phelan, the Government is considering the purchase of a €57m student accommodation complex in Cork to house international protection applicants (IPAs).

The privately-owned property in Cork city is currently accommodating third-level students but if the Government agrees to buy the site, it will be used to house up to 400 IPAs.

The privately-owned property in Cork city is  accommodating third-level students but if the Government agrees to buy the site, it will be used to house up to 400 IPAs. Picture: Denis Scannell

This news comes on the same week that Mayo County Council announced that it would not co-operate with that same department — see above — but it also coincides with a dispiriting announcement in the Dáil yesterday.

Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty referred to a Dublin development where 46 out of 54 houses were recently bought by an investment fund, suggesting that such investment funds were buying up the bulk of new housing estates and keeping new buyers in particular from getting on the property ladder.

In that context, the Government is playing with political dynamite if it buys this site: There are more than 13,000 people homeless in the country, and many of those seeking housing in Cork will now have to compete with students who will lose out on accommodation if this complex is sold.

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Students across the country are already commuting longer distances because of the lack of accommodation near colleges, and removing hundreds of student beds at one fell swoop will not improve that situation in Cork.

There is an economic dimension to this plan also. If the Government buys this complex then it is becoming a significant player in the private rental market. It can be argued that such decisive action is needed during a severe housing crisis, but that will be little consolation to hard-pressed students who will find themselves out in the cold next May, those looking for rental accommodation, and those on the property ladder.

The consequences of this decision may yet extend far beyond this particular case.

A temporary outbreak of tension

For many readers, a relaxing night in may involve watching a dumbfounded couple encounter an underfloor heating system they never budgeted for, thanks to Dermot Bannon.

The personable architect is the main star of Room To Improve, the RTÉ home-renovation show. The programme derives much of its popularity from the low-level tension between Bannon’s vision for his projects (usually on the ambitious side) and his clients’ vision of their future property, often more in accordance with a realistic, finite budget. The tension rarely escalates beyond a slight exasperation visible on the faces of the clients, and it’s usually resolved with a compromise that pleases everyone.

Dermot Bannon's architectural firm has released correspondence showing it had sought planning permission for an alteration.

Hence the surprise when it was suggested in recent days that one of Bannon’s projects, the Co Tipperary home which featured in the most recent episode, had been developed without appropriate planning permission.

Bannon’s architectural firm has since released correspondence, however, showing that it had in fact sought planning permission for an alteration to the original project.

A temporary outbreak of tension resolved to general satisfaction in a short period of time? It could almost be an episode of Room To Improve.