Residents concerned about the imminent arrival of over 70 male international protection seekers to a property on Killarney’s Muckross Road are arranging a public meeting to discuss the situation.
Close on 100 residents living in the immediate vicinity of Muckross Road held a meeting of their own in the Old Weir Lodge on Wednesday night at which concerns were voiced, views were exchanged and fears were expressed.
They opted to organise a public meeting for the Killarney Avenue Hotel next Sunday night (7.00pm) to which public representatives and any interested members of the public are invited.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has confirmed that 70 international protection seeking males will be housed at Harmony Inn/Kings Court Inn which is located at the busy junction between Muckross Road and Woodlawn.
“We would like to see a large turnout of people at the meeting in support of the town of Killarney as we seek to protect the services, infrastructure, health system, tourism and brand of Killarney town,” a spokesperson for the residents told KillarneyToday.com.
It has been stated for months, by various agencies, service providers, business and community organisations and local politicians that Killarney had reached maximum capacity in terms of providing accommodation for asylum seekers and refugees.
Kerry County Council has already written to the department stressing that there is no additional GP capacity available in the town and the service is already hugely overburdened.
The Kerry Education and Training Board, meanwhile, has advised that the free English language classes it offers asylum seekers and refugees have reached capacity and fears have also been expressed that smaller businesses are suffering a significant drop in trade because of the number of tourist beds taken out of the system.
The department was urged to reconsider its proposal until such time as the necessary additional capacity for support services are in place but, in a follow-up online briefing with Kerry’s five TDs, Mayor of Killarney Cllr Brendan Cronin, Mayor of Kerry Cllr Jim Finucane and Kerry County Council CEO, Moira Murrell, Minister Roderic O’Gorman indicated that he has little option but to proceed with the plan and he said there was no magic wand solution.
