Time for a zero refugee policy? - *Read OP for mod warnings and threadbans - updated 11/5/24*

It's so **** infuriating and what make it worse is this:

“Ireland is legally required under EU law to provide accommodation for people seeking international protection here"

I'm really really angry because we can get out of this tomorrow if we wanted to.

There were two public reps discussing this on Drivetime this afternoon. Both said they had not been consulted, just sent a fait accompli email earlier today advising that a 2 year contract was signed. Both very concerned about the impact of this.

When asked would they support local protest, yer man said absolutely not and no one should protest, they would meet and object etc etc

But what can people do when democracy fails as it has here again? Here we have publicly elected reps who have been bypassed by the civil service. Democracy has failed. And in this situation it will be perfectly understandable if local protest vigorously.

In this ...I agree .

As we have said before we have quite a few Ministers in Hiding !

I'm fairly sure we can't leave the EU tomorrow.

Are you insane? Do you know Drogheda? I lived there for 15 years , only left last year. This is appalling as the hotel is bang in the centre of the business section of the town, right at the entrance to Scotch Hall Shopping centre. It is huge! This will have a massive impact on the businesses in that shopping centre and on local footfall. This hotel was really popular for parties, hen parties, people stopping off on their way to Belfast for a night, people getting flights from Dublin airport the next day (35 mins), people on business trips to the area......I was at many good Christmas parties in that hotel. The only hotel left in the town is a very small boutique hotel call Scholars. That's it.

Drogheda is the fastest growing urban area in Ireland and is seeking "city" status. It has a population of almost 70K! https://www.independent.ie/regionals/louth/drogheda-news/new-cso-data-confirms-drogheda-is-countrys-newest-city/a2026046305.html

Millions was spent promoting Irelands Ancient East of which Drogheda is centre, with Newgrange, Slane Castle and distillery, beautiful beaches in Clogherhead, Mornington, Bettystown. What is the point of any of this if it just being pissed away by taking over hotels and housing migrants. There will be NO tourism in Drogheda now.

I feel terribly sorry for the local business people, many of whom I know personally.

(A few miles away there is Mosney Direct Provision centre, Gormanston Army Camp which houses migrants and Ukrainians and the Alverno Hotel in Laytown, also starting to house migrants. Beach holidays in Bettystown and Laytown will soon be a thing of the past)

Do the government or department not self reflect on the damage moves like this will do not only to tourism but the town itself? It is extraordinary and they pretend not to understand why locals get alarmed, never mind have reasonable concerns.

This is vandalism because of a "system" that is out of control.

In fairness I would normally not reply to a post that started like this, but I have to admit in this case I am not as you say , insane, just mistaken .

Mea culpa ..I thought that the town was full of hotels but I believe now that isn't true .

No offence meant .

But if the reps had been consulted about what was planned, would word have got out and protests started outside the hotel?

It seems like protesters in some of these towns are not even interested in being 'consulted'....they will protest outside these venues whether consulted or not.

Report recently said that they're not likely to name the locations until after the elections this summer

If they're afraid to name them before that election, will they want to name with a general coming early next year?

Thanks.

I dont think the govt will have a choice, other than to name the centres by then.

Any hotel happy to take the asylum buck will have signed up already, I imagine.

So there wont be any more options, bar tented accomodation perhaps.

The GE may come sooner than next year though. If SF keep tanking in the polls and the locals go reasonably well for FFG, we could see a GE this year.

The Village Hotel in bettystown too if I’m not mistaken.

It's the veil of secrecy and short notice and lack of consultation with local communities that's unsettling about this whole thing.

It reaks of a Government who have known they have fucked up and they are scrambling to keep connected business people and the EU onside.

This latest Drogheda move is utterly bonkers. We're going to be left with a shell of a country with a lot of businesses closed down, a very divided population and inadequete infrastructure. That in itself will deter MNCs from doing business here and tax receipts and job rates may suffer. MNCs have been making significant layoffs as it is due to many factors.

I think our best days may be behind us sadly. There is always room for migrants, we just don't have anywhere the level of infrastructure required to make it a success.

Mad. Absolutely mad to plant so many illegals in such a central spot in one of largest towns in the country. And one of the more premium accommodations.

This is akin to family of 4 living in a 3 bedroom semi detached, being rudely told that 3 more people (complete strangers) are moving in, and these guys are from Algeria, Congo and Georgia. Time to get your Congolese up to speed as our illegal friends aren't gonna learn any English, sure why would they - entire lifestyle is subsidized for many years by average tax payer.

Thanks blue sky for sticking up for me.

At least on the other thread posters had some good grace when I said I was mistaken .

Maybe @Hoboo and @tom23 haven't read that above ..yet ? ( reply to mykrodot )

Will give them the benefit of the doubt .

That's not what I'm saying.

They will leave because of poor infrastructure and services which is not being catered for adequately in line with the population increasing.