Big protest in Roscrea to stop Racket Hall hotel being used for asylum seekers

Protestors at Rackett Hall Hotell in Roscrea say they will continue their protest through the night in an attempt to stop the use of the premises to accommodate 160 refugees seeking asylum in Ireland.

Roscrea's only operating hotel is due to see its 40 rooms being repurposed to accommodate asylum seekers who were expected to arrive at the premises by the weekend.

The decision led protestors to mount pickets and protestors say they will attempt to block vehicles carrying asylum seekers from entering the hotel car-park.

Gardaí atttended at the scene and over 200 local people heard speeches from concerned local residents and Roscrea-based councillor, Shane Lee. Cllr.Lee told the gathering that local elected representatives only heard of the decision this afternoon via a briefing note from the Department of Integration and Equality.

The briefing note confirmed 160 beds will be provided for international protection applicants and the accommodation will be for "families of asylum seekers". The contract with the hotel has been signed for 12 months.

The decision has been described as marking "another dark day for Roscrea" by local community activist group Roscrea Stands Up, who said the hotel has been "closed to the people of Roscrea and surrounding areas".

"We have no active hotel now in Roscrea for weddings, parties, dinner dances - the Government has closed yet another business in Roscrea", Roscrea Stands Up said.

The group has organised a second protest which will march through the streets of Roscrea on Saturday, January 13 and are calling on all people with links to the heritage town to support the demonstration.

The department said it was not possible to say with certainty what the length of stay would be due to the high number of asylum seekers arriving in Ireland and the scarcity of alternative accommodation options.

The property consists of a “large refurbished four-star hotel accommodation” with amenities and “ample community recreational space on site” and has high speed internet connection.

There will be a self-catering service provided on site, while residents will also be provided with a weekly voucher or debit card for a local shop. A transport service has been established and will be supplemented by the provider.

The property is owned and operated by Swiftcastle Roscrea Ltd and staff will be on-site 24 hours a day. Staff numbers will be increased as and when resident numbers increase on site.

A minimum of two members of staff will be present at all times and CCTV is in place. There will be a general manager, assistant manager, eight daytime staff, two translators, four night-time security, bus drivers, and maintenance staff, the briefing note says.

Each resident will have their own lockable bedroom and 24-hour access. Asylum seekers may avail of English language classes through their local Education and Training Board, medical cards and an adult resident receives an allowance of €38.80 per week.

Asylum seekers are not entitled to apply for or avail of social housing or the Housing Assistance Payment while their claim for asylum is being determined by the International Protection Office.

The department said it is currently providing 26,279 asylum seekers with State-sourced accommodation and support services.

In addition to that, since February 2022, it is also providing accommodation to 75,026 people who have fled the war in Ukraine, resulting in more than 101,300 people staying in State-provided or pledged accommodation in Ireland.