Coolock plan to proceed, says O’Gorman

Minister Roderic O’Gorman has confirmed that government plans to house international protection applicants in Coolock will proceed despite local protests.

The former Crown Paint factory has been designated as an accommodation centre for international protection applicants, and O’Gorman said the government would not waiver despite recent protests at the site turning violent. 

Speaking to RTÉ, the Green Party leader said that the government “has a duty” to provide people with accommodation.

In recent weeks, protests in Coolock have turned violent at times with dozens of people charged and arrested as well as multiple gardaí being injured as a result of the violence.

O’Gorman criticised what he called “misinformation” from “bad faith actors” at the height of the violence in July.

He dismissed accusations from Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald that working-class areas are being disproportionately used to house international protection applicants.

“We have international protection accommodation in working-class areas, and we have it in middle-class areas as well. We have accommodation all over the country at this stage,” he told RTÉ this week.

In a separate interview with Newstalk, O’Gorman said “we will respond to the issues that protestors are raising. We need to provide this accommodation, so families aren’t left homeless.”

In Sinn Féin’s policy on immigration, the party called for audits on local communities that have been tapped to house international protection applicants and called for “deeper engagement” with local community organisations.

Speaking to the media at the launch of the policy, McDonald said that recent events in Coolock are a sign that current government policy on immigration is not working.

She said that other areas are “better off” and are better able to host international protection applicants, and it would merely be a “fairer ask” if centres were set up in said “better off” areas.

She posed a hypothetical question to the media at the launch of the policy document, asking “would you attempt to do that (housing international protection applicants) with no regard to that reality and no consultation with the community living there? No, you wouldn’t.”

O’Gorman said that while there has been controversy over where the government places international protection applicants, he said that community engagement teams have worked with local political representatives and community leaders and have been able to hash out solutions whenever issues have been raised.

Local community organisations such as the Northside Community Forum and Northside Partnership have called for a dialogue to be opened on the issue at a local level, and questions from local residents to be answered.

Local Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan has called on the government to support the Northside Community Forum and engage with Coolock residents.

“Coolock is a great place with terrific sports clubs, organisations and people. It is a welcoming, friendly and a very warm community.”

“The violence we witnessed recently on the Malahide Road where workers, local residents and emergency services came under attack has no place in our society. Those who preach division, hate and violence have nothing constructive to offer,” he said.

O’Callaghan stated, “community groups on the ground in Coolock with decades of experience have a key role to play in this.”

“This will not be easy work – especially in such a heated environment – but it is vital work that needs to be undertaken.”

The Dublin Bay North TD said, “levels of deprivation in parts of Darndale and Coolock have increased in recent years while the Government has run multi-billion euro budget surpluses; this cannot be allowed to continue.”

“It is also important that resources are allocated to tackle inequality and deprivation in the area.”

In a statement, the Northside Community Forum said “we ask that an independent organisation, that has expertise in the area of community engagement, mediation and conflict resolution, be commissioned to undertake a process of facilitated dialogue across the community.

 “The process would seek to engage with all key stakeholders from across the community including residents protesting at the former Crown Paint site with genuine concerns, residents living in the vicinity of the site, young people who have been involved or impacted by the protest, Dublin City Council, along with other local stakeholders.”

O’Gorman told reporters that he has been engaging with local groups on the issue, and said he was “happy” to do so.

The Northside Community Forum said, “we welcome Minister O’Gorman’s commitment to engage in dialogue to ensure the concerns of the community of Coolock are heard, and addressed where possible.”