*Photograph: Joe Buckley
A REPRESENTATIVE GROUP of Shannon Residents have circulated plans that a vacant unit in the Shannon Industrial Estate is set to house up to 600 International Protection Applicants.
In February, The Clare Echo reported that an approximate 300 asylum seekers will be accommodated at a State owned property in the Shannon Industrial Estate, this was later confirmed by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
Work commenced prior to Christmas on the fitting out of the building in the Shannon Industrial Estate which is on 7.3 acres of land and was made available by the Office of Public Works to the Department for the purposes of providing emergency accommodation.
Following a heated public meeting held in Shannon Town Park in January, a Shannon Residents Association group was formed, its creation led to some backlash within the town from other groups including the Cronan Residents Association.
Efforts from the Shannon Residents Association to hold a meeting with elected representatives is ongoing. A private social media group of the Residents Association has shared documents on the conversion of the building which it says is now capable of accommodating 600 persons.
Neither the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth or the Shannon Residents Association have responded to attempts by The Clare Echo to contact both parties on the matter, specifically the figure of 600 persons.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) stated, “If those numbers do arrive then they are off the charts but with this Government I’m not surprised, they have become fit to do anything”.
Shannon based Flynn added, “I’ve no problem supporting people that need support. The people in Clare have shown great generosity and hospitality in dealing with the high numbers being placed throughout the county by the Government. The impact in various communities is being felt where there is a deficiency in services to support the existing local community.
“We’ve seen too much of a focus on Co Clare, the Government seem to be insisting on pushing more and more on areas that can’t support it, it is like a population explosion with what our county has experienced in terms of accommodating people fleeing the war in Ukraine and housing international protection applicants,” Cllr Flynn added.
Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) said she was hopeful “that facilities are put in place for those coming and that they settle in and are given a warm welcome that the people of Shannon are known for”.
Clare TD, Violet-Anne Wynne (IND) has written to Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman (GP) on twelve occasions seeking a public meeting in Shannon.
Deputy Wynne has been vocal over the past seven months on the matter and criticised its location prior to having visited the site and the lack of information relayed to the community. “The location of that unit has been a concern for me, it’s so far away from services, that is what people from Shannon themselves have mentioned”.
